Training electric vehicle technicians to accelerate massachusetts' automotive future

Mount Wachusett Community College received a $350,000 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to develop an electric and hybrid vehicle technician training program. The college will create a new automotive technician curriculum focused on emerging EV technologies, training 40 students over three years to earn a certificate or associate's degree. The program aims to address the regional shortage of technicians skilled in EV repair and maintenance. Key deliverables include training faculty, obtaining hybrid and EV equipment, developing industry-informed courses, building internship opportunities, and recruiting a diverse student body including females. The program also plans to engage 40 incumbent workers through prior learning assessments and potentially award credit towards certificates or degrees. Goals are to generate knowledge on augmenting combustion engine programs with EV technologies and provide a model for accelerating credential attainment among incumbent automotive technicians. The award period is from October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2026.

Abstract

The automotive technician career field is changing rapidly, and the U.S. Is currently in the middle of an industry transition from traditional combustion engine vehicles to those with hybrid and battery electric vehicle (EV) technologies. A recent survey of massachusetts car dealers and independent automotive repair facilities have all indicated that they are facing a shortage of automotive technicians trained in hybrid and EV technology. This project from mount wachusett community college will address an emerging regional demand for technicians skilled in EV technologies by developing a new hybrid and EV curriculum for an advanced automotive technician hybrid and EV certificate and degree program. Throughout the project, 40 students will be recruited into this new degree and certificate program in the repair and maintenance of electric vehicles. The project will train faculty and provide the program with hybrid and EV training equipment. IT will also develop a new state-of the-art industry informed curriculum, develop a prior learning assessment framework, and tools for incumbent workers. Finally, the project team will build internship opportunities and employer partner relationships to foster student engagement, and institute a recruitment and retention strategy for a diverse group of students. The project is expected to generate new knowledge on how to augment a traditional combustion engine automotive technician program with emerging hybrid and EV technologies. This project will also provide a model for engaging incumbent workers to accelerate their progress towards a certificate or degree in hybrid and EV. Finally, the project will build knowledge about creating a high school student pipeline for the hybrid and EV technician fields, with an additional special emphasis on recruiting females into the field. The overarching goal of the project is to create an industry supported advanced automotive degree and certificate program in the repair and maintenance of electric vehicles that meets employer?s needs for skilled, knowledgeable, and more diverse EV automotive technicians. Approximately 40 students are expected to enroll in this certificate and degree program over 3 years, with an increase of female students and an additional 40 dual enrolled high school students. Three faculty will be trained in hybrid and EV technology during summer learning experiences. Students new to the field completing ten automotive courses with EV and hybrid technologies embedded in them, will earn the certificate, needing only another 7 general education classes to earn the associate degree. Alternatively, incumbent workers with prior experience or completion of a prior learning assessment test will potentially be able to receive credit for up to seven core courses to earn their certificate and/or associates degree. The business and industry leadership team will inform and enrich the curriculum by mapping out the scope of skills and knowledge essential for hybrid and EV automotive repair and maintenance technicians. This project is funded by the advanced technological education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation?s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.