EV Training for Schools: How Electric Vehicle Education Is Changing the Classroom

Electric vehicles are no longer a niche topic. They are showing up in dealerships, fleets, and repair bays across the country, and the technicians who will service them are sitting in classrooms today. The question for schools is simple: are students getting hands-on experience with the technology they will meet on day one of their careers?

For a growing number of high schools and colleges, the answer is yes, and it starts with a project students can see, touch, and drive.

Why EV Training Belongs in Schools Now

The shift to electrification creates a real skills gap. Working on high-voltage systems requires training in safety, battery technology, electrical diagnostics, and system integration. These are skills that many traditional automotive and STEM programs were not originally built to teach.

Schools that move early gain a double advantage. Students leave with workforce-ready skills, and the program itself becomes a draw. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College reported a 215% increase in class registrations after launching EV education, a clear sign of how much student interest is out there.

As David Myers, an automotive systems instructor at Southwestern Community College, puts it, specialized EV training directly addresses the shortage of electric vehicle technicians in his rural community.

From Electrical Fundamentals to a Working Vehicle

The best EV programs do not start with a textbook chapter on batteries. They start with a build. The Switch Lab™ EV Pathway takes students from the basics of electricity all the way to full EV integration, with learning that is hands-on at every step.

Students work together to assemble a road-ready electric vehicle by following clear instructions. Along the way they practice:

• Wiring and electrical systems
• Battery fundamentals and safety
• High-voltage safety practices
• System integration and diagnostics
• Mechanical concepts like torque

The re-usable kit includes the chassis, a DC or permanent magnet drive system, battery, all required wiring, lights, seat, seat belt, and windscreen. Because the kit is re-usable, each new class can take on the build, which makes the program sustainable year after year.

The result is something textbooks rarely deliver: motivation. Patricia Murphy, a robotics teacher at Healdsburg Junior High, says her students have big goals now because they see what they can do.

Preparing the Teacher First

An EV program is only as strong as the instructor leading it, and many teachers have never worked on high-voltage vehicles. That is why teacher preparation is built into the model.

The Switch Lab™ instructor workshop is a five-day, hands-on experience covering high-voltage safety, EV components, electrical systems, diagnostics, and full vehicle assembly. Instructors build the Switch EV from the ground up, just as their students will, and the workshop includes ASE xEV materials. Workshops run in Sebastopol, California and Canton, Michigan.

The community is growing in every direction. A recent workshop welcomed educators from Galena Interior Learning Academy, which is bringing the first Switch Lab EV program to Alaska, alongside an instructor from College of Marin who came to train on one of the earliest programs. Teachers also have in-person opportunities at events like CATEA, where a full-day hands-on session is offered for automotive educators.

Curriculum That Fits How Schools Actually Work

A kit and a trained instructor need a plan for the classroom. The Switch Lab™ curriculum is a turn-key, all-inclusive option designed to flex across different courses and schedules. It supports STEM, CTE, and Common Core in one package, and it is aligned with ASE technician standards.

That flexibility means EV education is not limited to the auto shop. Ron Bilberry, a conceptual physics teacher at Archbishop Hanna High School, notes that the vehicle ties into his course through electricity, batteries, and torque. Programs can also scale up: graduate students at the University of Toledo recently completed a Switch Lab EV build, with plans to bring the vehicle into undergraduate coursework.

Do We Need a Big Shop to Get Started?

No. Roger Pressley, an automotive instructor at Central Academy of Technology and Arts, describes the program as plug and play and says any school can do it, regardless of tools or shop facility. You can start with any space.