Valley CAN (Clean Air Now) will be hosting free classes at Bakersfield College (BC) on introductory skills to working on charging systems for electric vehicles, starting December 15 to 19, and the classes will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Alvaro Mendoza from the workforce education division stated that the courses will help people seeking jobs with companies installing chargers, as they’ll have a basic knowledge of the field and an understanding of the language used. The course will explain the different types of chargers, maintenance, and safety protocols, along with hands-on training. Students who complete the course will receive a certificate.
“Now, if they’re able to find a spot where they’re hiring where they do installs, they can show this certificate and let them see that he has some sort of knowledge of what he’s trying to get a job for. So they’re not going to have to take so much time to retrain him,” said Mendoza
While students who take this course will not be experts in the charging system at the end, Mendoza stated they will have a better understanding of how they work. Even if someone wants to take the class just because they have an electric vehicle, it could be helpful when explaining to a technician what’s wrong with their car if it needs work done.
Mendoza explained that they hope people who take these courses will be encouraged to sign up for more classes at the college. He also explained that people do not need to have prior knowledge of the system.
“We’re trying to get that interest in people, hoping that by them taking this class, they might go back and sign up for a community college and take other courses,” said Mendoza.
He explained that he’s seen a lot of people not want to learn about working with or on electric vehicles, and it can be hard to get people to take these classes. He stated that he hopes that with the classes being free, more people will take an interest in learning about electric vehicles.
Valley CAN also has several other programs with a focus on having cleaner air within the San Joaquin Valley. According to their website, the San Joaquin Valley is “the region with the worst air quality in the United States.”
“It seeks to improve the public health and quality of life in the disadvantaged communities by qualifying low-income residents for multiple incentive-based programs,” said Mendoza.
One program they have is the vehicle replacement program. The program offers assistance with a down payment on a newer plug-in hybrid or electric car. Applicants must currently have a gas-powered vehicle from 2006 or earlier, be at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, and meet a few other requirements.
Another program is the smog repair program, where they will offer a $500 voucher if your car fails a smog test at a STAR-certified shop or one of Valley CAN’s Tune In & Tune Up events. Mendoza explained that the program is just doing their part to clean the environment.
“We do live here in the Central Valley, it’s like a fishbowl, and a lot of the smog usually tends to stay here because of that,” said Mendoza.
For more information contact Mendoza at alvaro.mendoza@valleycan.org or 209-781-5522.
