A new seven-credit microcertificate program at Heartland Community College seeks to boost the electric vehicle workforce.
Heartland is now offering an Energy Systems/Charging Infrastructure Technician program that it says will prepare students for entry-level jobs in electric vehicle [EV] infrastructure.
The courses teach skills specific to maintaining, installing and repairing charging stations for EVs. Subject matter ranges from safety protocols to troubleshooting to residential and commercial installation practices, as well as energy storage systems, electrical wiring and power distribution.
The program can be taken independently; it can also be combined with a larger certificate program in Energy Systems Technology, which can then advance toward a two-year associate's degree in Industrial Science.
In a press release, Heartland noted the program is "designed to meet the growing need for electric vehicle charging stations in the State of Illinois, especially Central Illinois’ I-74/I-55 corridor, and to support the goal stated by Governor JB Pritzker to have one million EVs on Illinois roads by 2030."
Last year, Heartland received a $525,000 grant from the Illinois Community College Board to expand its electric vehicle education programs.
Shortly after than announcement in January 2024, Pritzker visited Normal to cut the ribbon on Heartland's $17 million State Farm Electric Vehicle Lab, part of a 45,000-square foot Advanced Manufacturing Center that serves students in multiple disciplines.
Heartland was the first community college in Illinois to launch an EV training program, in 2021, initially in a temporary site. Heartland offers an associate’s degree in EV Technology and certificates like EV Technology, EV Maintenance and Light Repair, EV Energy Storage, and EV Service Advisor.
