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Riverside approves multi‑institution MOU to explore Learning Institute for Flight Technology (LIFT)
Summary
The City of Riverside unanimously approved a nonbinding memorandum of understanding with Riverside Unified, Alvord Unified, Riverside City College, California Baptist University and UC Riverside to explore a Learning Institute for Flight Technology (LIFT) to build aerospace workforce pipelines through 2029.
The Riverside City Council unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding on Jan. 27 to explore the Learning Institute for Flight Technology (LIFT), a collaborative effort among the city, local school districts and higher‑education institutions to develop aviation and aerospace career pipelines.
Mayor Pro Tem Steven Robillard framed LIFT as a convening and partnership platform rather than a funded commitment. ‘‘The LIFT is not a single program or facility. It is a brand and organizing platform that brings together education, the city and eventually industry,’’ Robillard said at the evening session.
Representatives from Alvord Unified, UC Riverside, Riverside City College and California Baptist University described existing aviation programs, flight‑training capacity and the opportunity to keep local engineering and technical talent in the Inland Empire. Krista Fairley (Alvord Unified) said the partnership would ‘‘provide opportunities like this for our students’’ while UC Riverside’s Dean of Engineering Chris Lynch emphasized local talent retention.
The MOU is nonbinding and sets a Phase 1 timeline for dialogue, planning and evaluation through 2027; future phases would bring industry partners and explore funding. The council approved an amended recommendation that explicitly added Alvord Unified (which joined after the agenda was published) and authorized the city manager to execute the MOU and make minor non‑substantive changes.
