For automotive students, hands-on learning is essential for success in the workplace. Some skills can’t be taught entirely through books alone.
A Switch Electric Vehicle Kit will provide critical hands-on learning opportunities to students at Nogales High School in Los Angeles County, thanks to a California Energy Commission grant.
Commissioner Patty Monahan visited the school in December to present a special award plaque and talk with the students about the importance of electric vehicles in California. She told the students that Tesla’s Model 3 is currently the third best-selling car in California, and the state needs a strong automotive repair workforce to meet consumer demand.
“California is working to accelerate the electric vehicle market,” Monahan said. “We want to make sure there’s a workforce to support all the electric vehicles that are coming to market and are still to come.”
Raymond Alvarado, an automotive instructor at Nogales High School, said students have already begun disassembling and reassembling the Switch vehicle.
“The real aspect of building an electric vehicle allows them to decide whether electric vehicles are something they want to pursue as a career,” Alvarado said.
Those career decisions are already happening for Nogales High School student Fabian Pasillas.
“I wasn’t looking into a career in this industry, but now that I’m getting more knowledge and experience, it’s convinced me,” Pasillas said.
Student Anthony Martinez compared assembling the Switch vehicle to working on a puzzle and said the process has tested his skills in a good way.
Located in La Puente, Nogales High School serves about 1,900 students; 85% of its student body is Hispanic or Latino, and 86% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
The school enrolls 140 students in its automotive program, which is part of the Clean Fuels Transportation Pilot Career Opportunity Project. The program also has an Instagram account, @nogalesautotech3, where the vehicle build is being documented.
Monahan visited Rowland High School on December 3 to tour its facilities and present the award. Principal Andrea Brumbaugh and Board President Donna Freedman were among the school’s participants.
Watch the video here.
