Brookdale Adds Electric Vehicle Technology Training to Curriculum

The Automotive Technology Department (AUTO) and the STEM Institute at Brookdale Community College are responding to state and industry demand for automotive professionals trained in the maintenance and repair of electric vehicles (EV). They will be infusing EV technology into their curricula so that all AUTO graduates are versed in EV technology. They are also creating a stackable industry credential in EV technology for incumbent automotive professionals.

“With the help of federal Perkins funding, AUTO recently purchased a Chevy Spark that will be used in AUTO laboratories to demonstrate and teach EV fundamentals and practices,” said STEM Dean James Crowder.

Crowder and AUTO Department Chair Ivan Anderson are also seeking a $600,000 National Science Foundation – Advanced Technological Education (NSF-ATE) grant to support AUTO’s EV endeavors, which include outreach to populations historically underrepresented in the automotive field.

In addition, Anderson and Crowder have recently been invited by the National Engineering and Vehicle Technology Exchange (NEVTEX) to apply for a role in Northwest Engineering and Vehicle Technology Exchange (NEVTEX’s NSF-ATE) Track 3 Consortia for Innovations in Technician Education.

“This opportunity could provide the Brookdale AUTO Department with as much as an additional $125,000 for EV training and technology,” said Crowder.

NEVTEX is working with 30 industry and community college partners to create a standardized approach for training and certifying electric-drive vehicle technicians. Project leaders hope the standards will eventually lead to a licensing process for these highly skilled automotive technicians.