Georgia workers trained to work in EV industry unable to get jobs amid Biden's $7.5 billion charging station boondoggle

Despite significant investments in the EV sector in Georgia, including a program launched by Goodwill of North Georgia aimed at transitioning people from low-wage positions to EV jobs, job placement has fallen short of expectations, according to a report by WABE.

This program was designed to equip participants with the skills necessary to install EV charging stations, a crucial infrastructure component as the state expands its network of approximately 2,000 station locations and over 5,000 EV charging ports. In addition to state efforts, the White House recently announced millions in federal funds to further increase the number of EV chargers in Georgia.

Biden campaigned on climate change and promised to build 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations in the United States by 2030. The goal was to encourage more people to buy electric cars and as the auto industry moved to electric, Biden also set aside funds for training programs to transition workers into the field as well. 

"But now," the Washington Post reports, "more than two years after Congress allocated $7.5 billion to help build out those stations, only 7 EV charging stations are operational across four states. And as the Biden administration rolls out its new rules for emissions from cars and trucks — which will require a lot more electric cars and hybrids on the road — the sluggish build-out could slow the transition to electric cars."

Goodwill’s program sought to train workers to meet this demand, enrolling 45 participants with the promise of job placement upon completion. Quontavious Miles, one of the program participants, shared his experience, stating, “What they hope to do is to leave us where we have job placement by the time we’re done.”

“Right now, we’re practicing mock interviews, they’re getting our resumes curtailed and completely finished,” he explained. However, the anticipated job market did not materialize as expected. Interest in EVs has declined significantly this year, and one company has even paused its Georgia factory operations.

Since May 21, only seven of the 45 program participants have secured jobs. This shortfall has left many, like Miles, questioning the value of their training. “Just the way things panned out, you know, it kind of made you feel like, ‘Was it all worth it?’ you know what I mean,” Miles expressed.

Jenny Taylor, vice president of career services for Goodwill North Georgia, acknowledged the disappointment. “They thought they were going to get a job on day one of their graduation because we were so excited for them that they misunderstood,” Taylor said. “And so I feel a little bad because we had all that excitement in front of them, and we didn’t tell them what that meant and why we were so excited.”