Through California Jobs First, Uplift Central Coast selected DART as a Catalyst awardee. The $300,000 investment went to work in three connected areas:

• a new Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) apprenticeship with Joby Aviation
• regional coalition planning for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) infrastructure, including the region’s first air taxi case study
• the 2026 LIFT Summit, California’s flagship AAM event, with scholarships for community members and students

Together, these efforts link workforce, infrastructure and community access across the Central Coast. DART’s final report on the award is now available here.

Building on a successful foundation 

Each Catalyst work stream built on relationships, programs, and data DART had developed over several years, much of it with support from the James Irvine Foundation. Each one also fed its results back into that work.

The Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) Apprenticeship at Joby Aviation launched in November 2025. It was catalyzed by the success of the Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship Program (AMAP), which DART co-developed with Joby and partners in 2022, and which is now Joby’s main entry-level hiring pathway.

As co-founder of the Monterey Bay Tech Hub, DART has facilitated the Infrastructure Working Group (IWG) since 2024. The group grew out of earlier groundwork that gave the region shared priorities and strong airport relationships. That foundation helped position the region for the state’s California Advanced Air Mobility Corridors Initiative (CAAMCI) award. The 2026 LIFT Summit drew on years of DART’s annual symposium and 2025 rebranding, convening national industry and policy leaders in Monterey.

Where the pieces come together

At Watsonville Municipal Airport, deliberate design is bringing the pieces together into a connected workforce system. DART partnered with Pajaro Valley Unified School District to establish the Airplane Build CTE program, where Pajaro Valley High School students are building a full-scale Van’s RV-12 aircraft in the airport’s EAA hangar. On the same airfield, Catalyst-funded apprentices train with Joby on the same type of aircraft. Students get real exposure to a leading-edge company and can see a clear next step after high school, right at home. Watsonville is also one of the four CAAMCI airports, and its director is an active IWG member.

For local residents. Advanced aviation adds a new source of family-sustaining jobs in a region that has long relied on agriculture and hospitality. Apprentices are paid while they train, which removes a financial barrier that has kept many local residents out of emerging opportunities like this. In addition to the immediate potential employment opportunity following program completion, Apprentices work toward the FAA Airframe and Powerplant certificate, a credential that stays with them for life.

“I didn’t even know this kind of career was an option… It opened a door I didn’t know existed.” AMT Apprentice, First Cohort

For regional planning. Through the IWG, airports, agencies and industry speak with one voice in state and federal AAM planning. Catalyst funding also supported the Monterey-San Jose Air Taxi Case Study. It is the region’s first data-based look at early commercial air taxi service, and it gives stakeholders practical information to plan around.

For the community. LIFT 2026 kept Monterey at the center of the national AAM conversation. Fully funded scholarships brought community members and students into the room with national leaders, ensuring local voices are part of the conversation.

Looking ahead

The next phase is about connecting each step to the next. DART is building measured transitions from the Airplane Build CTE program into AMT apprenticeships, with a community college bridge and a registered pre-apprenticeship in between. The IWG continues to keep regional airports and partners aligned, and its initial model was applied in Kern County. LIFT returns to Monterey March 23-25, 2027.

California Jobs First investments in Catalyst, DUCC, and CAAMCI now reinforce one another in this region. Their combined value will keep growing as the first Airplane Build students finish the program and new apprentices start.

DART thanks Uplift Central Coast, GO-Biz and the California Jobs First program for supporting an advanced aviation economy that grows with the region.

For more, read the full Catalyst Final Report.

About DART

DART is a nonprofit founded in 2018 whose mission is to build innovative pathways to meet Advanced Air Mobility’s growing workforce needs, support the planning and development of critical infrastructure, and convene stakeholders across industry, government, and education to unlock regional potential for quality jobs and community vitality. 

To learn more, visit mbdart.org.