SPRINGFIELD — With electric vehicles becoming more prevalent in the area, Springfield Technical Community College is investigating ways in which they can bolster the workforce in this emerging industry.
The college announced in mid-November that they received a $30,000 grant from the Mass Clean Energy Center Equity Workforce Fund to explore the demand for incumbent EV technician training.
According to the Massachusetts Vehicle Census on the state’s website, there are approximately 75,800 electric vehicles in the state as of July 1, compared to just over 53,000 as of July 1, 2023, and just over 34,100 as of July 1, 2022.
Due to this stark rise in the use of these vehicles in the state, STCC is looking to lead the way in supporting career pathways to invigorate this evolution.
This grant to explore the demand for EV technician training is a step in that direction.
“There’s a lot of EV cars being sold in the area,” said Gladys Franco, the assistant vice president of workforce development at STCC. “There aren’t necessarily repair shops that are prepared to meet the growing demand to fix these cars beyond the work that the services of the dealerships are able to provide, so we wanted to explore what is the current capacity and how are we able to meet this growing need that we foresee happening in our region.”
STCC is partnering with the Entrepreneurial and Business Collaborative LLC, a regional company that supports aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses, to research employer demand and the potential need for curriculum design that would provide hands-on, short-term training and possible industry certification pathways for technicians working on EVs.
Franco said that the E&BC has strong ties to local employers and other community members, so she said that the partnership with them will help strengthen those relationships to “better understand the needs and make sure that our programming is in line with the needs of the community.”
“We are excited to partner with STCC on this pivotal initiative,” said Ron Molina-Brantley, CEO of E&BC. “Electric vehicles are not just the future of transportation — they represent a transformative shift towards sustainability. By investing in technician training, we are building the skilled workforce necessary to support this critical transition and drive a greener, more sustainable future.”
STCC was one of many awardees of the MassCEC Equity Workforce Fund grant, according to the college’s announcement. On Sept. 27, Energy and Environmental Affairs Undersecretary Katherine Antos and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Dr. Emily Reichert announced over $16 million in grant awards “to invest in planning, capacity, training, and equipment for climate-critical jobs in the clean energy and climate tech sector.”
Once STCC officially secures the grant contract, Franco said they will do a series of focus groups in the community to make sure the possibilities for program development for EV technician training aligns with the need in the community.
“We want to make sure that there’s an interest from community members, but that there’s also going to be employers that are that are looking for the type of training that we might be providing and are committed to employing program computers,” Franco said.
Aside from exploring the possibility of adding EV technician training to the college, STCC will also be exploring the possibility of creating a training program for EV charger installation as a way of supporting the development of the infrastructure necessary for EVs.
Franco said that the grant is a six-month planning grant that the school expects to be completed by March, but she said that timeline might need to be readjusted once they officially receive the contract.
She added that the college will not be ready to implement any kind of program at the end of the grant’s timeline.
“We’re not ready to implement a program at this point,” Franco said. “[The grant] is really an opportunity to explore and confirm the need in the community.”
