Grant allows schools like Pickens Technical College in Aurora to expand EV technician training
With the push to get more electric vehicles on the road comes a need for more EV technicians.
Recently, Gov. Polis and the Colorado Department of Transportation announced several grants to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles and provide training on zero-emission vehicle technology, which will help address the need for EV technicians.
One of the grants was awarded to Pickens Technical College in Aurora. The school received $98,860 it will use to train instructors, who will then begin teaching EV safety classes.
"There has been a serious lack of technicians nationwide, to the tune of 100,000. And the EV is going to worsen the problem," said Ed Martin, an instructor at Pickens.
He added, "I think the technician that thinks about that now is going to be miles ahead of those, who wait even just another couple of years."
Dominick English is a current student at Pickens and will likely take the EV class when it begins next fall or in the spring of 2024.
"I'm excited to learn about it," English said.
Even if he admits that he isn't a major fan of dealing with EVs.
"Personally, I don't love the aspect of having no noise and I like to control every aspect of my vehicle and modifying it, but I think for an everyday consumer, it's a great product."
One of the main things that Martin will stress to English and other students is safety when working on EVs.
"We have this high voltage electric system that does have the potential to cause a lot of harm," he expressed. "They're going to have to learn how to slow down and do some research. You can't just rush into it and start tearing things apart, that's how you'll get hurt."
English also says safety is huge component when it comes to dealing with electric vehicles. He stresses to always emphasize in protecting the body and the customer's vehicle from damage when working with EVs.
"It's just like you're working around a loaded gun," English added. "You have to make sure everything is safe. You don't have to hurt yourself, damage customers car or damage your body."