Suburban Chicago college gets state grant to drive more students towards EV-centric careers
CHICAGO (CBS) — It's not your imagination -- there are more electric vehicles on the roads.
The U.S. Energy Secretary said in 2023, 1.4 million electric vehicles were sold.
That's 50% more than in 2022. Eventually, those vehicles will need service, so we'll need more mechanics to safely work on electric vehicles.
That's exactly what the College of Lake County plans to do with a new half-million dollar grant: train more technicians.
Lizbeth Mendoza is learning to fix cars at the College of Lake County.
"I like working with my hands instead of working at a desk and writing," Mendoza said.
She's training in electric and conventional vehicles, as is fellow student and lab attendant Daniel Lopez.
"I do want to be a technician, and I know EV is growing," Lopez said.
"You have to be careful because electric vehicles have a lot of voltage and can hurt you."
Collision Department Chair Octavio Cavazos said working on EVs can be dangerous if you're not trained properly. For example:
"We can't dry paint like a regular car because we can't bring the batteries up to temperature," Cavazos said.
CLS can now offer that kind of training to even more students, having just received a $500,000 grant to expand EV learning.
"It increases our ability to have more students with more hands-on, with more equipment."
Derrek Keesling is the Service Department Chair.
More training means more technicians who can work on electric vehicles even in smaller, independent repair shops.
"Currently, the only place people can really get training is from the manufacturer, so if you're a private citizen, that means more choices for EV owners," Keesling said.
And more opportunities for people like Mendoza and Lopez.
"EVs are a different monster. You have to be catching up, or you're staying behind," Lopez said.
"It's like a good challenge, and it makes good money," Mendoza said.
The grant comes from the Illinois Community College Board.