On, August 17, 2023, the Electrification Coalition hosted a webinar discussing workforce development and EVITP Partnership. There were many areas to be improved upon, and panelists had a heated discussion about training staff safely when interacting with equipment.
Speaker slide decks from the webinar:
- Colleen McLoughlin, State Policy Organizer- Clean Transportation, Blue Green Alliance
- Aaron Brown, Green Energy/Government Affairs Representative, IBEW
- Jeff Brock, CEO/Co-Founder, Heartland Charging Services
Key takeaways from our speakers:
- Collen McLoughlin:
- Colleen identified major hands-on gaps in EV mechanics training; trainees need more opportunities to work on actual vehicles, especially medium- and heavy-duty, as well as needs relating to equipment and infrastructure in mechanic shops. She also placed an emphasis on training not just so workers perform their job well, but also so they are able to understand and advocate for themselves.
- Aaron Brown:
- IBEW offers five-year apprenticeship programs nationally, which allow electricians to get their 8,000 hours of on-the-job training in a collaborative union environment, opening them up to more hands-on opportunities.
- Jeff Brock:
- The goal of these programs is to train staff to ensure safety when interacting with equipment, and to make sure they have the technical knowledge and training necessary to work with emerging charging technologies.
- What this looks like: continuous rotation training, continuous education every six months, and education in formal settings as well as on-the-job training.
- The goal of these programs is to train staff to ensure safety when interacting with equipment, and to make sure they have the technical knowledge and training necessary to work with emerging charging technologies.