A group of Georgia workers who underwent training for the burgeoning electric vehicle (EV) charging industry are facing the hard truth of limited job opportunities, despite high hopes and significant investment in the sector. After months of preparation, many are still jobless, contending with the uncertain pace of EV adoption. According to WABE, only seven out of 45 participants in a training program run by Goodwill of North Georgia have secured employment within the industry.
The program, which was designed with the assistance from several private companies, aimed to transition individuals from low-wage work to what were being heralded as the green jobs of the future. Quontavious Miles, a former Marine and member of the program's first cohort, expressed his excitement about the opportunities this training could offer, telling WABE, "This feels like the beginning of a brand new career field." Yet, the reality of the job market seems to have dulled the sheen of such optimism.
Despite there being almost 2,000 charging stations locations and over 5,000 EV charging ports across Georgia, the state has seen a slump in EV interest this year, as per AAA's data. This is compounded by the recent news of Rivian, an electric vehicle manufacturer, putting its Georgia factory expansion on hold, bringing into question the forecasted job growth. The Goodwill program, designed to leverage federal funds for boosting charger installations, may have been a tad too optimistic.
Jenny Taylor, Vice President of Career Services for Goodwill North Georgia, had set a goal for 80% of the cohort to find jobs by April. Now past the program's 90-day job placement benchmark, just a fraction of that number have found work. "I will begin to be concerned if we don’t have them employed by May 23," Taylor stated concerning the situation, according to WABE. The future for these job seekers remains uncertain, as they grapple with the mismatch between their training and the current demand for EV charger installation professionals.
Feelings of disappointment are palpable amongst participants like Miles, who is still seeking employment. "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 shared in a statement obtained by WABE. While remaining hopeful, the reality of job scarcity has led Miles and his peers to consider possibilities beyond their newfound skills, as they wait for the market's promise to materialize into tangible opportunities.
