RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A new program at WakeTech is teaching people how to install and repair electric vehicle charging stations.
Wake Tech University announced it is launching the nation's first program to train electric vehicle charging station technicians, and while it's a pilot program, the university said state leaders hope to expand it to other community colleges.
Mark Smith is one of the instructors and says the need is great.
“The gap we see is when someone wants to buy an electric vehicle, none of the technicians at the sales center know much about charging stations,” Smith said.
The goal is for each technician to learn how to install and repair EV equipment in businesses and homes.
More from CBS 17
Wake County News
Smith said the summer classes are already full and there is a waiting list for students, and he hopes that in 10 to 20 years, more mechanics and electricians will know how to keep charging stations up and running.
“Understanding how to install (the equipment) is the same as understanding how to install a water heater or how to install a refrigerator,” Smith said.
Wake Tech is working with the North Carolina Board of Business Education, which operates out of the governor's office, to start the classes, which are being paid for with a grant from the Siemens Foundation.
