Mesa Community College Automotive Service Program launches new EV course.
MESA, Arizona -- April 25, 2024 -- The Salt River Project (SRP) donated a 2017 Ford Fusion from its fleet to the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation for the Automotive Service Program at Mesa Community College.
"There are more than 3.3 million electric vehicles on the road today in the U.S., and that number is expected to skyrocket to 26.4 million by 2030," said Kate Kochenderfer, senior director of Supply Chain, Transportation and Flight Services at SRP. “Demand for automotive specialists with EV capabilities is also growing rapidly. The vehicle we're donating will strengthen the EV workforce, including our own SRP automotive technicians, while equipping MCC students with the skills they need to succeed in an economy that is transitioning to low-carbon, electric vehicles."
SRP’s donation, valued at $15,000, afforded the college the opportunity to offer an intense Introduction to Electric and Hybrid Vehicles course (ASE265) the first week in May. The course will be restructured from the four eight-hour day format and offered again in fall 2024.
“Delivery of the EV from SRP’s fleet made it possible for us to expose our current Automotive Service students to the principles of electric vehicles before the semester ends and many graduate,” said Bryce Bond, chair of MCC Applied Sciences and Technology Department. “In addition to the new course offering, having an EV on site helps us enhance all our other automotive classes.”
First year MCC student Charles Spencer, who is participating in the intense course in May, feels the EV provides opportunities for students.
“I’m excited to be one of the first MCC students to have the opportunity to learn from working with this EV, learning first-hand about electrical components not everyone understands completely inverters, converters, the high-voltage battery and how the low-voltage battery really controls everything else in the car, the comforts like the A/C etcetera,” said Spencer.
The MCC Automotive Service Program maintains its Master Automobile Service Technology Accreditation, the highest level of program accreditation, from the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Education Foundation. This accreditation is valid through February 1, 2025.
Visit mesacc.edu/automotive to learn more about the Certificates of Completion and Associate Degrees offered through the MCC Automotive Service program.
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Media contacts:
SRP Clare Felix, Clare.Felix@srpnet.com, 602-236-4688
MCC Dawn Zimmer, dawn.zimmer@mesacc.edu, 480-461-7892
Salt River Project (SRP) is a community-based, not-for-profit public power utility and the largest electricity provider in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, serving approximately 1.1 million customers. SRP provides water to about half of the Valley’s residents, delivering more than 244 billion gallons of water (750,000 acre-feet) each year, and manages a 13,000-square-mile watershed that includes an extensive system of reservoirs, wells, canals and irrigation laterals.
Mesa Community College is nationally recognized for university transfer, career and technical programs, civic engagement, service-learning and innovative approaches to education. On average MCC students provide 23,000 hours of community service annually. For more than 50 years, the college has served as a resource for education, workforce development and lifelong learning. Host to more than 25,400 students annually, MCC offers degree and certificate programs at its two campuses and additional locations through a combination of modalities. MCC is transforming how it champions student success through Guided Pathways with Integrated Support Services and a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. MCC is a Hispanic Serving Institution with nearly 50% of its students being the first in their families to attend college. MCC has the largest indigenous student population of all the Maricopa Community Colleges; its American Indian Institute serves students from the 22 federally recognized Arizona tribes as well as out-of-state tribes. The diverse student body includes hundreds of international students from around the world. Award-winning faculty are dedicated to student success, providing the education and training that empowers MCC students to attain their goals. Located in the East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona, on the traditional territories of the O'odham, Piipaash and Yavapai Peoples, MCC is one of 10 colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District. Visit mesacc.edu to learn more.
MCC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org.
The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO/AA institution and an equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or national origin. A lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in the career and technical education programs of the District. MCCCD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities. For Title IX/504 concerns, call the following number to reach the appointed coordinator: (480) 731-8499. For additional information, as well as a listing of all coordinators within the Maricopa College system, visit www.maricopa.edu/non-discrimination.