US States Are Creating a Pipeline of Trained EV Workers — Here Are the Emerging Trends

The World Resources Institute analyzed post-secondary training programs in five US states—Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Tennessee—to understand how the US is building an electric vehicle (EV) workforce. The analysis identifies a heavy reliance on public community colleges, a primary focus on vehicle maintenance and repair, and the influence of state-level policies and private investments in shaping educational offerings.

• Public community and technical colleges are the primary providers of EV workforce training. Of 196 identified programs in the five analyzed states, 172 (88%) are at public institutions, and 129 (75%) of those are two-year institutions.
• EV-specific training is most concentrated in vehicle maintenance and repair, rather than manufacturing or charging. Institutions are implementing this either through specialized degrees and certificates or by adding EV-specific courses to existing automotive technology programs.
• Training requirements and durations vary widely. While associate degrees typically require a high school diploma or GED, some advanced programs at four-year institutions require a bachelor's degree in STEM. Program lengths range from 20-hour online courses and five-to-seven-week certificates to two-year degree programs.
• Students in the EV sector commonly pursue three industry-recognized certifications: Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), which recently added xEV safety certifications; the American Welding Society (AWS), specifically for robotic arc welding; and the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS) for advanced manufacturing and tooling.
• State governments are actively using policy and funding to create talent pipelines. Examples include North Carolina's goal of 1.25 million zero-emission vehicles by 2030, Nevada's $17 million allocation via the Workforce Innovations for the New Nevada program, and Michigan's $130 million investment to establish the Electric Vehicle Center (EVC) at the University of Michigan in 2023.
• Private investment is a major driver of regional training focus. As of March 2024, private auto manufacturers committed approximately $100 billion in investments across Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Tennessee, with specific focuses on battery raw materials in Nevada and Tennessee, and battery cell/pack manufacturing in North Carolina, Michigan, and Georgia.

APA

World Resources Institute (2025). US States Are Creating a Pipeline of Trained EV Workers — Here Are the Emerging Trends. https://www.wri.org/insights/electric-vehicle-training-programs-trends

Chicago

World Resources Institute. US States Are Creating a Pipeline of Trained EV Workers — Here Are the Emerging Trends. 2025. https://www.wri.org/insights/electric-vehicle-training-programs-trends.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=US States Are Creating a Pipeline of Trained EV Workers — Here Are the Emerging Trends |date=9 January 2025 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/electric-vehicle-training-programs-trends |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2025states, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{US States Are Creating a Pipeline of Trained EV Workers — Here Are the Emerging Trends}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/electric-vehicle-training-programs-trends}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }