Electric Vehicle Education for New Jersey (EVE-NJ)

New Jersey has set a goal to use 100 percent clean energy by 2050. The use of electric vehicles (EVs) is a major initiative to meet this clean energy goal. The challenge is a dearth of available EV automotive technology training in New Jersey and the surrounding region. Brookdale Community College, located in Monmouth County, New Jersey, will prepare a workforce trained in the service and repair of EVs by infusing EV learning into existing automotive technology programs and courses. Brookdale Community College will create a “stackable” credential for incumbent automotive technology professionals. The new curriculum and educational materials will be disseminated to related programs across the country to broaden the impact. This project will aim to recruit women who are underrepresented in automotive technology programs and careers. To support the retention of all students, Brookdale Community College and the Automotive Technology Program will offer a series of events, workshops, and conferences led by a female automotive technology coordinator, who will serve as a leader and role model for the students. In providing open access opportunities for training in high-skill, wage, and demand EV careers, this project provides a prime opportunity to better prepare and to diversify the automotive technology workforce. Brookdale Community College will also work with Amazing Women in Automotive (AWA) to offer mentoring opportunities, establish a student club to mentor women within the automotive field, and host networking/recruitment dinners at automotive trade shows. 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.