Workforce Development and Training Resources
Some of these resources are related broadly to low- and zero-emission vehicles or transit buses rather than school buses. While there are notable differences, these resources may still provide useful insights for workforce development and fleet transition planning at school districts. Additionally, some of these resources may require payment.
If you come across other useful resources that should be added to this page, please share them with us at CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov and include ‘Workforce Resources’ in the subject line.
On this page:
Workforce Planning
- Workforce Planning Recommendations and Resources (pdf) (149 KB, February 2024, EPA-420-B-24-006) - EPA’s Clean School Bus (CSB) program is enabling school districts across the country to purchase new, cleaner vehicles to transport kids to school every day. The successful deployment of clean school buses requires a workforce that is well-prepared to operate and maintain the buses. This document outlines suggestions for how to prepare and empower your workforce for the transition to clean school buses.
Overview Resources
- Workforce Development Resources (Joint Office of Energy and Transportation) - The Joint Office is committed to equitable deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, transportation, and mobility access options that provide positive outcomes for Justice40 and underserved communities. As a result, the Joint Office has collated example resources to support workforce development activities for an electrified transportation system.
- Webinar: Workforce Development Tools and Resources (Joint Office of Energy and Transportation) - The Joint Office hosted a webinar discussing workforce training programs, job creation, and local and economic hiring preferences in the transition to electrified transportation. Workforce development experts across the federal government provided updates on new resources that are available to stakeholders, including information on the EVITP requirement (refer to at 30:24 in the recording for details on EVITP).
- Step-by-Step Guide: Training, Testing, and Deployment (Electric School Bus Initiative) – Provides an overview of the steps leading up to bus deployment, including training drivers, maintenance workers, and first responders; testing fleet and charging equipment; and deploying buses.
- Zero Emission Buses Workforce Transition Resources (Transit Workforce Center) – Summary of the resources from the Transit Workforce Center to assist stakeholders with preparing their workforce for the transition to zero-emission buses.
- Electric School Bus Education: Driver and Technician Training (Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. Department of Energy) – Module discusses electric school bus driver and technician training, including why training is important and four basic levels of training. Includes video module and handouts.
- Reskilling the Workforce: Training Needs for Electric School Bus Operators and Maintenance Technicians (Electric School Bus Initiative) – Article features perspectives from stakeholders about workforce and training for electric school buses and recommendations for training implementation.
- Resources and Best Practices for a Zero Emission-Workforce Fleet Transition Plan (International Transit Learning Center and Transit Workforce Center) – A guide for creating a comprehensive workforce development plan for electric school bus transition. These webpages currently focus on preparing the maintenance workforce. Some of the resources and best practices cover and apply to bus operators, but the next set of resources, currently under development, will focus on bus operators.
- Electric School Bus Technical Assistance Menu (Electric School Bus Initiative) – List of technical assistance offerings provided by the World Resources Institute’s Electric School Bus Initiative.
Curriculum and Training Resources
- Operators
- Steering the Transition: Electric School Bus Drivers (Electric School Bus Initiative): A webinar featuring school bus drivers who have made the transition to electric.
- Electric School Bus Training Connection: Best Driving Practices (Virginia Clean Cities): Brief two-minute video with an overview of key practices for driving an electric bus.
- Bus Technicians
- Electric School Bus Technician Training Database (World Resources Institute) – Database containing both online and in-person programs across 19 states. The majority of the trainings are offered by community and technical colleges as part of certificate or degree programs; however, individual classes can be taken. While the listed programs are not necessarily specific to school buses, the foundational knowledge in electric vehicles is largely transferrable. Common training topics include: high voltage safety, battery energy storage and electric vehicle propulsion.
- Course (Transit Training Network) – Three-part series to help transit bus technicians gain fundamental understanding of battery electric bus (BEB) technology. Recordings, slides, and presenter notes are available.
- Transportation Electrification Overview (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) – Online course covering basic concepts of electric motors, fuel cells, electric drive trains, EV batteries, and lithium-ion batteries.
- High Voltage Safety and Heavy Duty Electrical (California Energy Commission) – This course is for technicians with some hands-on experience with school bus service, maintenance, and repair. Technicians will learn the fundamentals of electric school bus (ESB) high voltage safety including ESB systems and components, electrical fundamentals, dangers of high voltage, PPE, and high voltage safety procedures. Note: course is only for school districts in California.
- Competency-Based Occupational Framework for Transit Bus Technician (Urban Institute) (pdf) (955 KB, January 2018)– This Competency-Based Occupational Frameworks transit bus technicians in registered apprenticeship programs defines the purpose of the occupation, the job functions that are carried out to fulfill that purpose, the competencies that enable the apprentice to execute those job functions well, and the performance criteria that define the specific knowledge, skills and personal attributes associated with high performance in the workplace. It features knowledge of electrical and electronics principles.
- EV Training: Advanced Industry Training (Weber State University): Online courses on high-voltage safety and hybrid and electric-vehicle systems.
- Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Infrastructure
- Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) – Comprehensive training for installation of EVSE. Electricians installing, operating, or maintaining EVSE purchased through the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant and Rebate Programs must be certified by EVITP or another training program approved by EPA.
- First Responders
- First Responder Alternative Fuel Vehicles Training Program (National Fire Protection Association) – Web-based learning modules for personnel with responsibilities dealing with fires and other situations involving alternative fuel vehicles.
- Fleet Managers and Transportation Administrators:
- EV Training Series (Federal Energy Management Program) – Four-part course developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the FEMP Fleet team. Series is designed to provide fleet managers and coordinators with knowledge to become subject matter experts in EV implementation.
- Providing Training for Zero Emission Buses: Recommended Expanded RFP Language (pdf) (17.7 MB) (International Transportation Learning Center and Jobs to Move America) – This document is intended to be used as a starting point for agencies to tailor their training procurement to suit their specific needs.
- Zero-Emissions Bus Resource Alliance (ZEBRA) – Professional association started in 2015 for transit agencies to share lessons learned about zero-emissions technologies.
- EV Workforce Collaborative (National Governors Association and National League of Cities) – Collaborative initiative to help cities and states align policy and funding and develop accessible career pathways in the EV sector.
State and Local Examples:
- Training Technicians for an Electric Bus Fleet (pdf) (1.2 MB, October 22,2019) (American Public Transportation Association) – Examples of how transit agencies are approaching the safety, technical, and skills gap when deploying battery and fuel cell bus technology.
- Mid-Atlantic Electric School Bus Experience Project – Provides schools with an introduction to electric school bus technology. Provides free electric school bus demos in select districts in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Washington DC.
- California
- California Transit Training Consortium – CTTC is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation is comprised of Community Colleges, Universities, Transit Agencies, and Public and Private Partners collaborating to design, develop, and deliver cost-effective technical training for the improvement of the transit workforce.
- The Electric School Bus Training Project (California Energy Commission / Cerritos College) – Electric School Bus Workforce Training Program at California Community College.
- John F. Kennedy High School Electric Vehicle Program – Three-year program curriculum at Sacramento high school preparing students for careers as EV technicians.
- New York
- Workforce Strategies for Clean School Buses (pdf) (722 KB)(Workforce Development Institute) – A summary workforce needs assessment of school bus electrification in New York State. More information from WDI about their efforts in New York.
- NYC MTA Zero-Emission Bus Transition Plan (pdf) (2.0 MB, May 2022) (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) – MTA’s Workforce Transition Plan outlines the expected impacts to existing staff roles and responsibilities, describes new skill requirements, and lays out a plan to provide training and support.