Reposted from The Monroe News (monroenews.com).
EV Jobs Academy, which includes MCCC, places Michigan at electric vehicle forefront by Tom Adamich
As we move forward in the age of electrification and the use of alternative fuels (and related technologies), the EV Jobs Academy will continue to place Michigan at the forefront of investment in next-generation vehicles. I’ve had the privilege of working on behalf of Monroe County Community College with partners in the EV Jobs Academy initiative.
According to the EV Jobs Academy information website, the EV Jobs Academy is an employer-led collaborative comprised of over 100 stakeholder partners to identify the electrified vehicle and mobility-related occupational skill needs while developing and scaling postsecondary credentialing programs utilizing a turn-key, online, shared learning platform for the Michigan Occupational Deans Administrative Council (MODAC), which is 32-member colleges and universities located throughout Michigan.
The Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN) and its Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA) were awarded a $5 million grant from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Employment & Training and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) to carry out this work over a five-year timeframe.
The EV Jobs Academy’s goal is rapid and accelerated training and retraining for emerging technologies in connected, autonomous, lightweight, hybrid, electric, alternative fuel and other advanced vehicle technologies. Following the launch of EV Jobs Academy’s first phase, it is anticipated the numbers of trained and retrained individuals will continue to grow significantly.
MCCC has been talking about EVs and their role in future mobility since the mid-2010s when it was part of the 2014 Center for Advanced Automotive Technology (CAAT) grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). At that time, MCCC, as a member of the Southeastern Michigan Community College Consortium, helped establish the CAAT, currently headquartered at Macomb Community College. One of the goals of the 2014 CAAT grant was to create what was identified as the first public EV charging station installation in Monroe County. Its purpose was to educate students in renewable energies, smart grid integration, and installation and maintenance of electric vehicle charging stations.
Today, MCCC, as part of the EV Jobs Academy, has worked to identify and engage partners at the municipal government and economic development levels. As a result, Monroe County communities like Luna Pier (with Mayor Jim Garner – a former Ford engineer – as a key Monroe County EV advocate) as well as the Monroe County Economic Development Corp. (Monroe County EDC, with Matt Vanisacker as vice president of business development) are leading conversations about building strong EV charging infrastructure and connecting Monroe County residents and visitors with future EV/alternative fuel jobs, recreational opportunities and other benefits.