Education and jobs for electric cars
City planners view switching to electromobility as a key solution for reducing emissions, but an electric road mobility system requires new approaches and skills in transport and engineering. The EU-funded project 'Job opportunities in vehicle electrification' (E-GOMOTION) addressed the issue by targeting high school students to raise awareness of potential job opportunities relating to electrification of road transport. The project analysed future job profiles and career trends in the electrification industry, assessed current career possibilities and stimulated awareness through a series of events. It also conducted information campaigns and established a competition in developing visions for the future of electrification of road transport. After compiling an industry report on the demand for alternative vehicles, E-GOMOTION articulated three scenarios to demonstrate the way forward in electromobility. It prepared benchmark reports for Asia and the United States. In addition, the team established a web-based school to reach more students and organised a European student competition on urban mobility concepts. Known as the e-gomotion Challenge, the competition attracted 150 students in four regions, resulting in 30 advanced concepts. The best concepts from each region were showcased at the European final event in Barcelona, Spain. The final winners proposed a school car-pooling platform and a social network focused on mobility, representing a vision that the project helped to bring to realisation. The solution also comprised competitions — called Hackathons — for developing web applications to further these aims. Overall, the project led to increased awareness about employment and education opportunities in electromobility. This is expected to bring more students to this area of study, leading to more skilled experts and engineers in the field. The project's long-term impact will likely be a faster shift towards electric transportation, enhancing sustainable mobility and contributing to a cleaner environment.
Keywords
Road transport, electromobility, emissions, vehicle electrification, urban mobility
