Partner News Release: New Scholarship for EV Workforce Development

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7, 2023

Contact:
Lyz Bantilan, APCD Public Information Officer
805-979-8283

See news release issued below from partners Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance and Central Coast Clean Cities Coalition. (The Central Coast Clean Cities Coalition (C5) is a group of local stakeholders — including Santa Barbara County APCD — whose mission is to expand the use of alternative fuel vehicles and fueling infrastructure throughout the Central Coast. Learn more: www.c-5.org.)

County of Ventura Announces New Scholarship for EV Workforce Development

Ventura, CA – Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance (VCREA) and Central Coast Clean Cities Coalition (C5) are pleased to announce the “Power Your Future” Scholarship, open to all state-certified general electricians in the central coast tri-county region.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimates that California will need nearly 1.2 million electric vehicle (EV) chargers to support the state’s aggressive electrification goal of 8 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2030. There is a critical need to address the region’s growing demand for an electrical construction workforce capable of building and maintaining a robust network of charging stations. Moreover, Assembly Bill 841 and CA Public Utilities Code 740.20 require that at least 25 percent of installation crew members of any State-funded electric vehicle charging infrastructure be certified under the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program.

The “Power Your Future” Scholarship is a collaboration project between VCREA, C5, and EVITP, a brand-neutral, volunteer-based, non-profit organization that trains electricians in the electric vehicle infrastructure space. The scholarship aims to increase the number of EVITP-certified electricians in the region, ensuring that our workforce can keep up with the state’s electrification goals and that EV charging equipment is installed to the highest safety and quality standards. VCREA invites all eligible electricians to apply to the “Power Your Future” Scholarship to guarantee they have the opportunity to participate in California’s electrified future.

To learn more about EVITP and this scholarship opportunity, please attend the Power Your Future Webinar on February 9, 2023, from 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm.
Register here.