By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Though the employment picture is cloudy in some industries, others are desperate for more trained workers, and some of those booming fields are at the heart of programs at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) on Puget Ridge.

One of them – Automotive Technology – is celebrating the recent arrival you see above: A uniquely configured training vehicle for students to learn how to work on EVs.

We were there as it was shown off during an event at the campus’s Steve and Sharon Huling Automotive Technology Center, with one of its namesakes on hand, as well as educators, local advisers, SSC president Dr. Monica Brown, and a leader from the college system’s fundraising foundation.

The training vehicle, created by Consulab from a car it purchased from Tesla, offers invaluable visuals – a college one-sheet explains that it “exposes every component — motors, batteries, charging systems, power electronics —while using a high-voltage emulator for safe, hands-on diagnostics and troubleshooting.” It’s the latest addition to what SSC notes is the only independent – not tied to a specific manufacturer – EV training program in the area.

SSC’s Dean of Automotive, Aviation, Heavy Diesel, and Welding, Ferdinand Orbino, said the high-tech addition underscores the skill sets needed for automotive technology now – “part electrician, part coder, part mechanic:

After he spoke, it was back out into the learning area, where Automotive Technology faculty member Teryn Kilgore explained what the Consulab trainer can be used for and how it works:

The Consulab trainer was obtained with the help of a $147,000 state grant. It’s being incorporated gradually into the program. The Seattle Colleges not only continue to seek grant funding but also are happy to have supporters like the Huling family, as Dr. Brown noted in her remarks:

Steve Huling also spoke, talking about how he got involved, and how much growth he’s seen in the program:

Other participants in the event included Swedish Automotive (WSB sponsor) owner Todd Ainsworth, a member of the program’s Technical Advisory Committee; his business now services EVs, and he verified the need for technicians to get training.

As more funding is sought and obtained, the next major step for SSC is to launch a Battery Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Training certificate program next fall; they’re exploring evening class times so currently employed technicians can attend after work to “upskill.” In the longer run, Battery Electric and Hybrid Vehicle training will also become part of the two-year Associate of Applied Science program. Details about Automotive Technology training, teaching, and giving at SSC can be found here.