Delcastle unveiled its EV. charging stations Thursday.
Delcastle Technical High School on Thursday unveiled its three student-made electric vehicle charging stations, part of an effort to make its students marketable in today’s economy.
“Our role is not only filling our current workforce needs, but also forecasting the future needs of our workforce throughout Delaware and the region,” said Yvette Santiago, board president of New Castle County Vocational Technical School District.
She described the district as an economic engine that evolves to fit the trends of the market.
“We know that last year more than 10 million electric vehicles were sold, and this year the numbers are projected to increase to 14 million,” she said. “We know that the industry will need skilled laborers that know how to build, install, maintain, repair and use charging stations like the ones that we are officially launching today.”
The unveiling comes as the state’s move to force car companies to provide increasing numbers of electric vehicles in Delaware has drawn a lot of attention and opposition over cost, weight and distances that can be traveled.
Under rules proposed by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles in Delaware will be phased out by 2035.
The state recently asked for bids to build charging stations along Delaware’s most-used roadways as part of the preparation for a reduced number of gas-powered cars. It will pay for those charging stations with federal funds.
Delcastle paid for the charging stations with funding from an Innovation Grant and rebates from DNREC.
RELATED STORY: DelDOT seeks bids to build charging stations
Delcastle showed off two charging stations in its parking lot and one that will remain in a classroom for instructional purposes so students can study the mechanics, wiring and design.
The stations will be used by the handful of building staff that have electric vehicles.
Each charging station can charge two vehicles at once.
In the future, teachers in Delcastle’s auto technology career area will begin to incorporate EV stations into the curriculum to enhance career opportunities for those students as well.
The district plans to add EV charging stations to its three other schools – Hodgson, Howard and St. Georges high schools – in the coming years in order to provide the same opportunities to all of its schools.
Delcastle Principal Justin Comegys said the project was completed by students and instructors in electrical trades, welding, auto tech and drafting programs.
Students primarily used CDX training as a curriculum for building the stations, which took about eight months, said Daniel Edelen, career and technical education specialist at Deltech.
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
Jarek can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz
Share this Post