Goodwill North Georgia kicks off field tech training for EV industry positions

Accenture information services company and General Motors helped design the program, said Jenny Taylor, the vice president of Career Services and chief mission officer for Goodwill North Georgia.

Multibillion EV factories in Georgia inspired the program and will help job seekers begin a career in the fast-growing industry, a Goodwill of North Georgia statement said.

Profits from sales at Goodwill of North Georgia’s stores are used to fund 14 career centers located across the region.

The new CITA program has numerous partners, Taylor said, such as the U.S. Department of Labor and the Atlanta Regional Commission which are helping to fund training for at least four years.

Georgia Power, MARTA, California-based Charger Help, which maintains EV charging stations in Atlanta, and EnviroSpark, an installer and operator of charging stations locally, intend to hire certified technicians who come through the program, she added.

The clean tech program will have four levels of training offering increasing skills as participants advance.

The first level will have three separate cohorts learning entry level maintenance of charging stations, Taylor said. Each training period is one month. Participants will train 40 hours per week, earning $15 per hour; and $20 an hour when employed, according to Goodwill North Georgia.

Advanced training will take place each year through 2027 and include learning energy efficiency; how heat pumps relate to solar energy; and storing solar energy. Jobs requiring advanced skills and offered through Goodwill of North Georgia partners will pay $30 per hour, Taylor said.

“These are great jobs, “ she added. “We really are delighted ...”