$4.1 million center to train electric vehicle mechanics coming to Palm Beach State College

Palm Beach State College will start training students for high-paying electric vehicle mechanic jobs starting in 2026, thanks to millions of dollars from the federal government that Congresswoman Lois Frankel requested in the spring.

PBSC hosted Frankel on Thursday, Sept. 5, on its campus west of Lake Worth Beach. Flanked by seven students, she announced that the public college would get more than $4.1 million to build garage bays, classrooms and labs to train students to work on electric vehicles, hybrids and other autos that burn little, if any, gasoline or diesel fuel.

Frankel requested the money in March as part of a $1.2 trillion package of bills Congress passed to keep the federal government from shutting down.

Frankel: Give students the opportunity 'to be part of the fight against carbon emissions'

"One of the best parts of this job is being able to give opportunities to young people," Frankel said at a news conference at the school.

The electric vehicle training would give students the chance "to be part of the fight against carbon emissions," she added. Those pollutants, spewed by the burning of petroleum, keep the sun's heat from escaping the Earth's atmosphere, smothering the planet with record-high temperatures recorded in recent years.

The college will demolish its dental school building on its Lake Worth Beach campus to make room for the 12,000-square-foot auto training facility. The dental program will move to the college's Loxahatchee Groves campus by next August.

The new training center will have eight mechanics' bays on the first floor and classrooms on the second floor, said Eligio Marquez, PBSC's associate dean of its workforce trade department.

Previously: Palm Beach State College will break ground for new dental school at Loxahatchee Groves campus in fall

Current auto mechanics program has only one female student

Before PBSC staff gave Frankel a tour of the college's 13 existing mechanics' bays, they pointed out for her the lone female automotive student in the group, Karena Cabus, to the congresswoman's delight.

"I have two grandsons and I love the guys," Frankel said, looking back at the male students before turning back to a Cabus, "but we need more ladies in the program. Thank you for being the shining light and leading the way."

In the bays, where Cabus and other students were working on cars and SUVs, the young woman spoke more with Frankel. The congresswoman asked Cabus what got her into this type of work. Smiling, Cabus replied, "I've always been interested in cars" and said she would one day like to own her own auto shop.

Demand to enroll in PBSC's auto courses exceeds its 25-student capacity each semester, workforce education and development dean Kimberly Lea said. The new training center would double that.

PBSC sought the money because of the "urgent demand" for electric vehicle mechanics, PBSC spokesperson Kerry Capell said, that would come in big part due to the Biden administration requiring half of all new car sales be electric by 2030.

First-year electric auto mechanics make $25 to $30 an hour, Marquez said, compared with $15 to $25 for regular mechanics. PBSC currently offers one-year courses for students seeking certificates in vehicle service or repair, teaching about engine repair, brake systems, electronic systems, drivetrains, steering, suspension and more.

Chris Persaud covers transportation for The Palm Beach Post. Email tips to cpersaud@pbpost.com .

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: $4.1 million center to train electric vehicle mechanics coming to Palm Beach State College