SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), through its Rev Up EV! Community College Initiative, has awarded $9.4 million to 25 Illinois community colleges to help support the state’s growing Electric Vehicle (EV) industry through job training and technology development programs.
Overall, the funding will promote the development and growth of training programs that prepare individuals for careers in EV technology and EV-specific advanced manufacturing fields, with a priority focus on programs and training in areas that are most in demand by EV businesses and industry partners.
“Thanks to Governor Pritzker’s leadership, Illinois is at the forefront of change to vehicle electrification and continues to attract new EV industry companies. This funding will allow our community college system to increase the trained workforce and create new technology that will support the growing needs of the industry for years to come,” said ICCB Executive Director Brian Durham.
The competitive grant program is intended to support the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act which established Illinois policy to equitably transition to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. To support the growth of electric vehicles and critical infrastructure for deployment, maintenance, and support, Illinois needs adequate training programs producing more talent in EV priority program areas.
Grantees are required to participate in the Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN) led IL EV Network, an industry collaborative of key stakeholders from industry, higher education (faculty, staff, two-year and four-year), and state agencies to guide the expansion of light and heavy-duty Electric Vehicle training that satisfies industry demand for high-skill individuals.
“We are excited to work with these outstanding community colleges to discuss critical industry trends, talent needs in high-priority roles, systemwide strategies, barriers, solutions, and opportunities for collaboration to expand the EV / related advanced manufacturing workforce in Illinois,” said David Husemoller, executive director of IGEN.
The $9.4 million competitive grant was awarded in two categories or cohorts: Building capacity for the EV industry by preparing colleges for the future needs of the industry; and technology development and expansion including the expansion of EV job training programs from development and production to maintenance of Electric Vehicles and installation of critical infrastructure.
Optimistically, electric vehicle sales have jumped significantly in the last year, up 14 percent in 2022,
more than 10 times their share in 2017.
In our area in the Development and Expansion Cohort, Rend Lake College will get $273,898 and John A. Logan College will receive $483,508. In the Capacity Building Cohort, Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg will see $20,000.
