Fixed Ops Journal - December 2020 - F14

FIXED OPS JOURNAL

Sinclair Community
College in Dayton, Ohio,
offers two classes that
focus on electrical skills
for technicians.

EV EDUCATION

Updated technician training crucial with new vehicles on horizon

A

RICK POPELY

foj@autonews.com

s auto companies ramp up plans for
more electric vehicles, the schools
training the technicians who will
work on these vehicles are shifting gears to prepare them for a
world of electrification.
Preparing a new cohort of technicians for an
industry that will be dominated by EVs, however, won't be as simple as flipping a switch.
Student technicians and apprentices will
still need to know the fundamentals of auto
repair and how to work on internal-combustion engines. Moreover, " electrification " at
some manufacturers will mean more hybrid
gasoline-electric vehicles in the near term instead of a slew of battery EVs. And the number
of EVs coming into dealerships for service will
be relatively small for at least the next few
years, so most of that work will be done by
seasoned master technicians.
The tech of the future, though, will need a
solid foundation in electricity and electronics,
be as comfortable working with both a laptop
and a wrench, and be able to follow complex

PAGE 14

DECEMBER 2020

Kenar: GM
encourages
technician
mentoring.

diagnostic charts to find and fix problems in
EVs.
" They're going to have to be really strong in
electrical hard-wired systems but also in electronics, understanding module communication, wireless communication, Bluetooth and
training in full-electric [vehicles], " Justin Morgan, chairman of the automotive tech program at Sinclair Community College in Day-

ton, Ohio, told Fixed Ops Journal.
Sinclair, which offers manufacturer-sponsored technician training programs with General Motors, Honda, Mopar and Tesla, plans to
adjust its course offerings in the next few years
to keep up with the trend to electrification.
Students typically split time between the
classroom and working at a dealership in
these programs.
" We have two electrical classes right now,
and I would say we could potentially have a
Level III class that talks about more advanced
electrical and electronics, such as radar systems or electric-drive units or motors, " he
says.
Sinclair has offered a hybrid electric vehicle
class for more than 10 years, and Morgan expects the college will reduce the time devoted
to hybrids so it can add new material on EVs.
He envisions the EV component focusing on
safety with high-voltage systems and diagnosis, and servicing of batteries and electric-drive units.
The manufacturer-sponsored programs at
colleges are structured so what students learn
in class matches the duties they perform at
Fixed Ops Journal - December 2020

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