CCCC offers Electric Vehicle Technology program to meet surging industry demand

SANFORD, N.C. — When it comes to demand for experienced Electric Vehicle mechanics and technicians, the future is today. 

That’s why Central Carolina Community College is offering a comprehensive Electric Vehicle Technology program to help prepare students for rewarding careers in the industry.

“These guys are making $40, $50 an hour,” CCCC Automotive Instructor Wayne Cole told students as he chatted with them in the auto bay on CCCC’s Lee Main Campus. “No dirt, no grease.”

Hybrid and electric vehicles now make up more than one in five new light-duty vehicles purchased in the United States. That is a category that includes cars, SUVs, and most pickup trucks. Other commonly electrified vehicles include motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, and golf carts.  

“There’s more companies out there looking for young talent that they can grow, that can be interested in hybrid and electric vehicles, because there’s not enough technicians out there now,” Cole said. 

CCCC’s EV program begins with a certificate in Electric Vehicle Technology and provides pathways to a diploma or associate degree. The stackable credentials are designed to build progressively, starting with foundational knowledge beneficial to vehicle owners and to a variety of careers in and out of the auto industry. 

Wyatt Miller, a student in the Basic Transportation Electricity class, said he and his classmates had been constructing circuits on circuit boards and learning about how voltage, resistance, and amperage interact in real-world applications. 

“The class teaches you about it pretty easily, and it makes it a lot simpler,” he said. “It’s pretty simple, once you actually understand it.”

All cars have electric systems, so these concepts are relevant even to mechanics working on traditional vehicles, rather than EVs or hybrids. 

“Finding someone that’s electrically gifted in the automotive field is like a gem,” Miller said. “You really are very valuable.” 

Visit CCCC’s Electric Vehicle Technology program for more information.