Award Abstract # 1700708
Northwest Engineering and Vehicle Technology Exchange (NEVTEX)

NSF Org: DUE
Division Of Undergraduate Education
Recipient: CENTRAL OREGON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Initial Amendment Date: July 26, 2017
Latest Amendment Date: July 20, 2022
Award Number: 1700708
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Virginia Carter
DUE
 Division Of Undergraduate Education
EDU
 Directorate for STEM Education
Start Date: July 15, 2017
End Date: September 30, 2022 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $778,417.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $925,035.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2017 = $778,417.00
FY 2020 = $96,618.00

FY 2022 = $50,000.00
History of Investigator:
  • Kenneth Mays (Principal Investigator)
    kmays@cocc.edu
  • John Frala (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Central Oregon Community College
2600 NW COLLEGE WAY
BEND
OR  US  97703-5933
(541)383-7711
Sponsor Congressional District: 05
Primary Place of Performance: Central Oregon Community College
OR  US  97703-5933
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
05
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): JCT6K9FLNPV3
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): Advanced Tech Education Prog
Primary Program Source: 04002223DB NSF Education & Human Resource
04001718DB NSF Education & Human Resource

04002021DB NSF Education & Human Resource
Program Reference Code(s): 1032, 7556, 9178, SMET
Program Element Code(s): 741200
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.076

ABSTRACT

The West Coast region of the United States has demonstrated significant business development and political commitment to the emerging electric drive industry, which includes electric and hybrid electric vehicles (EV/HEV) and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Worldwide, the market is growing steadily, with Japan leading the way and the United States coming in second. Oregon, Washington and California report nearly one-third of all EV/HEV ownership in the United States. There is wide recognition that current automotive training programs for students and technicians need to be dramatically redesigned to guarantee mastery of these emerging, advanced vehicle systems. The investigative team of this ATE project will address this need by working with selected automotive industry and community college partners to create a standardized approach for training and certifying electric drive technicians. Once completed, the proposed training standards will serve to spearhead a process with the long-term goal of instituting a licensing process for these highly skilled workers who are working with high voltage and high-pressure gaseous fuels. The project team will develop and implement outreach activities aimed at increasing the enrollment of underrepresented groups, including women, Latinos, and Native Americans, in automotive technology programs and career pathways at community colleges. Emphasis will be placed on disseminating and sharing all products and outcomes at national meetings and through a website that will be developed to highlight this project.

The project will identify training categories for electric drive vehicle maintenance and safety. A template will be created for each training category that defines the associated training activities. The overall goal being to develop standardized training for electric drive technicians. Simultaneously, the investigative team will work with content area and industry experts to develop a method to validate skills acquisition. Digital badges will be considered as one way to credential learner outcomes. The training standards and credentialing system will be vetted by industry and educator team members and upon approval, the standards and credentialing system will be tested at 10 businesses and 20 community colleges. Outcomes and training materials will be shared regionally and nationally with appropriate organizations and stakeholders. Once a framework for training and credentialing has been validated by these organizations, the investigative team will meet with governmental agencies in the Western States to discuss the institutionalizing of licensing procedures for electric drive technicians. In the United States, there is currently no standardized credential or licensure requirement for technicians who work with high voltage systems and high-pressure gaseous fuels. As a point of comparison, technicians who work with commercial or residential high voltage or heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems must be licensed by each State. The same must also be done for EV/HEV technician who work with high voltage systems and high-pressure gaseous fuels.

PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT

Disclaimer

This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.

Outcomes from the NEVTEX Project Grant (#1700708)

Advanced Vehicle Electric Vehicle Technician Standards

Central Oregon Community College (COCC) and Rio Hondo College (RHC) worked together to develop curriculum and training standards for technicians in hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), electric vehicle (EV), and Fuel Cell (FC) vehicle systems.

NEVTEX  received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF / ATE Grant Award # 1700708) have addressed these needs by partnering with industrial and educational representatives to obtain input and assistance to develop (1) new approaches to prepare an advanced technologies workforce, (2) licensure procedures and policies to ensure the safety of technicians, their employers, and clients, and (3) collaboration between educational and industrial partners in the development of new standards and practices.

With the help of the Advanced Standards Advisory Committee and consultants Dr. Mark Quarto, Fuel Cell engineer, Tim Perzanowski, and the CAAT Center, the Electric Vehicle Standards are now complete to be used by the EV industry and education.

Posted at: autocaat.org/Resource_Library/NEVTEX_Resources/

 

Electrified Transportation Pro+   

Electrified Transportation Pro+ (EVPro+) is an electric vehicle training, assessment, and personnel certification program for transportation service professionals.  The program offers four levels of certifications for technicians and instructors. It was established as part of the original NSF-funded NEVTEX grant and is the first and only standards-based training and certification program for electric vehicle technicians and educators.  EVPro+ training and assessments provide an opportunity for EV technicians and educators to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, while the certification provides the formal recognition needed to obtain initial employment and advancement within the individual?s chosen profession. 

Posted at: evproplus.com/

  

SAE-ITC

Representatives from SAE-ITC were a part of the NEVTEX Advisory Committee.  SAE-ITC is the Society of Automotive Engineers Industry Technologies Consortia. SAE ITC enables public and private organizations to collaborate, even with competitors, under an anti-trust umbrella to quickly and efficiently establish pre-competitive best practices and principles under which they mutually agree to operate. Multiple standards development organizations can also participate in this setting of a neutral forum to establish a more holistic approach to the electrified vehicle ecosystem to embody the principles into standards based on their relative areas of strength and expertise. SAE-ITC has authenticated and recognizes the EVPro+ training, assessment, and personnel certification program as a critical component of the electric vehicle lifecycle.   

 Poted at: sae-itc.com/programs/probitas/ev-technician  

 

Recruitment

Outreach Liaisons were hired at four community colleges specifically for the Automotive Technology EV Programs.  Due to COVID, the time was limited for this work; however, significant numbers of high school students were reached.  Rio Hondo College - 732 students; Central Oregon CC - 491 students; Clackamas CC (Oregon) - 434 students; Chemeketa CC (Oregon) - 272 students.  All of the college programs saw enrollment increase with women and students of color.

 

Beta Test for the EVPRO+ program

Thanks to NSF for allowing to supplemental grants that allowed for the dissemination of the Advanced Electric Vehicle Technician Standards, the EVPRO+ training and testing, plus the SAE-ITC authentication / EV certification, we were able to broadcast webinars and provide for five beta test for 87 educators and technicians who enrolled in the EVPRO+ program.

For further information please contact Ken Mays, PI-NEVTEX, kmays@cocc.edu

 

 

 


Last Modified: 10/16/2022
Modified by: Kenneth W Mays

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