Camden County Electric Vehicle Education Network

About This Grant

As the demand and incentives for electric vehicles continue to grow, so will the necessity for automotive technicians with specialized skills and preparation. The primary focus of this project is the creation and implementation of a new automotive technological education curriculum that focuses on hybrid and electric vehicles (HEV). This initiative at Camden County College (CCC) responds to significant state and local workforce demands, to address New Jersey's goals to promote student success, and advances the NSF's ATE mission to educate technicians for high-technology fields. With the state projected to welcome 2,000,000 electric vehicles to its roadways by 2035, the project will allow CCC to create a critical educational foundation to embrace the new, emerging HEV economy and the credentials that accompany it. Over the three-year project, CCC Automotive Technology faculty will obtain professional development to advance their knowledge of HEV diagnosis and repair and enhance their proficiency in its instruction. Based on best practices from HEV industry leaders, and in partnership with a Specialized Automotive Advisory Board, CCC faculty will develop HEV-specific modules to be embedded in the current curriculum. The goals of the project are: 1) prepare CCC graduates to enter directly into the industry equipped to safely service new model battery electric vehicles (BEV), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV); 2) advance CCC Automotive Technology faculty's knowledge of BEV diagnosis and repair and enhance their proficiency in its instruction; 3) build awareness of HEV technician careers and to create a pipeline of skilled technicians; and 4) develop a roadmap for high school students and all students at CCC. Activities will include updating curriculum with modules in hybrid and electric vehicle operation, safety, maintenance, with a focus on technician safety; purchasing supplies and materials for state-of-the-art instruction; advancing the professional skills of college faculty and secondary school automotive faculty; conducting workshops to provide enhanced technical skills for incumbent and displaced workers; and developing outreach to and retention support students. Building specific modules into existing courses will allow for new and stackable credentials for all automotive technology students. The new curriculum will meet the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) newly implemented Electric Vehicle Technician/Shop Personnel Electrical Safety Standards. Automotive Technology students will receive EV-specific instruction resulting in attainment of ASE xEV level 1 and level 2 certification. CCC faculty will develop the curriculum for and provide instruction to 40 incumbent and displaced automotive workers over two years, who will earn continuing education certificates as well as conduct four professional development workshops over two years for a total of 40 high school and college automotive technology instructors. 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.