Right. Next slide, please. All right. Well, good morning everybody and welcome to our fifth session of our saving money and reducing truck emissions webinar series. We also call it smart as an acronym. Um, and this one's going to be called
drivers in tax preparing the workforce for the electric vehicle transition. My name is Trey Pope and I'm one of the air quality planners. We also have Anthony Mafa and Travis Ripley. They're both air quality planners on our team. Next slide, please.
Uh today I'll be facilitating moderating this webinar. Uh during this session, we'll have two presentations and then we'll have a Q&A segment at the end. Next slide, please. Let's uh take a few moments to talk about our save money reducing truck
emissions program. I was just called smart. Uh the smart program is an initiative that works to connect the trucking industry with emissions reducing and cost-saving technology as well as strategies to help drivers, owner operators, and fleet managers to
reach their sustainability goals in a cost-effective manner. Uh throughout this program, we work to build relationships to share information and resources and also to promote the use of smartway verified technology. Next
slide, please. So, we have our uh first presenter uh for this session. Her name is Angela American. I hope I pronounced that correctly. Uh she's a Okay, good. Uh she's a senior program manager at TRC,
uh member of WSP. And she has extensive experience leading environmental sustainability programs, community outreach initiatives, and workforce development efforts across the public and private sectors. Um, Angela spe specializes in developing community
benefits plans and securing grant funding. And most recently, she managed workforce planning, stakeholder engagement, data analysis for the joint electric truck scaling initiative known as Jetsy, workforce development pro project. And with that, everybody,
please welcome Angela as she discusses how the Jets project is preparing the workforce for the future of zero emission freight transportation. Angela. Thank you, Trey. And good morning, everyone. I'm Angela, senior program manager for the clean transportation
team at TRC, a member of WSP. Um, I'd like to share a little bit about TRC and what we do. Uh, we proudly support a wide range of clients including fleets, utilities, public agencies, manufacturers, infrastructure developers, and fuel
suppliers in driving the future of clean transportation. And so clean transportation is certainly one of our specialties and I'm happy to be on this webinar this morning. Our team of engineers, funding experts, compliance and policy specialists and communication
strategists are dedicated to building the market for low and zero emission commercial transportation technologies and fuels. We move beyond consulting to form partnerships and offer your organization tailored strategies based
on your needs and your unique goals. With our support, you'll be able to navigate complex regulatory landscapes, uh maximize funding opportunities, and reach your sustainability targets faster and more efficient efficiently. TRC has
helped clients across North America set new records in clean transportation and energy innovation. Our clean transportation consulting team has managed the design and development of more clean fleet deployment projects than any other team in North America.
And we've facilitated the development of some of the largest alternative fuel corridors in the world. We also offer electric vehicle consulting to support our clients in setting new standards for sustainable transportation. And with
decades of experience and a strong track record of great projects and programs we've done for clients, we bring the expertise that you may need to transform your clean transportation vision into uh reality. Um, our team works with a broad
range of sustainable transportation and energy leaders to assess and build markets for advanced transportation technologies, lowcarbon fuels and energy. We also support initial technology and fuel deployments in early markets that are not yet sustaining. So
before I get started on the Jetsy project, I'd like to thank all of you for joining the session this morning and want to specifically thank the North Central Texas Council of Governments for the opportunity to present to you all today. Next slide, please.
All right. So this morning I will be discussing the Jetsy project. Uh Jetsy stands for joint electric truck scaling initiative project. This project represents a significant collaborative effort aimed at integrating battery electric trucks into the freight
industry. So Jet is a landmark deployment of battery electric trucks in North America, dramatically increasing the number of ZE heavyduty trucks moving goods across Southern California while achieving the emission and GH2
reductions the region needs. This initiative, this initiative involved more than 20 public and private stakeholders, including key fleet partners, NFI industries and Schneider, as well as technology and charging
partners including Volvo Trucks North America, Daimler Trucks North America, Power Electronics, and Electrify Commercial. So TRC partnered with these organizations to design the Jetsy project, provide project development,
workforce development, outreach and education, grant assistance, media relations, industry outreach, strategic communication, web design and development, and event coordination by our creative team to showcase milestones throughout the
five-year project. Next slide, please. So, one of the most significant community benefits from the Jetsy project is improved air quality. The Jet project puts 100 zero emission battery electric trucks into service within two
Southern California fleets where diesel trucks previously operated, eliminating diesel exhaust fumes for hundreds of truck trips daily. So through direct experience outreach uh to fleets to share lessons learned and connections to
develop community awareness and greater support for electrification. Jet was designed to showcase successful zero emission goods movement into the logistics and freight industry. As more communities and fleets learn from the Jetsy project to make this transition,
BETs will be more widely deployed in the region and beyond, accelerating the improvement in local air quality as well as decarbonization at a global scale. Next slide, please. So, just some timeline highlights I'd
like to share. Uh so the project deployed the trucks across Southern California in April of 2023 with the goal of demonstrating strategies for successfully scaling zero emission technologies in real world operations.
So operating primarily in areas designated as overburdened communities, these trucks are eliminating the need to burn over 690,000 diesel gallons annually while accelerating commercialization of zero
mission trucks. So by February of 2026, NFI zero mission draage fleet announced surpassing 10 million zero mission miles and Schneider's BET fleet surpassed 10 million zero mission miles. Next slide, please.
This program was funded by the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission with a combined grant of 27 million. The Jetsy project also received additional financial support from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the
Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee, San Pedro Bay Ports, and Southern California Edison. This funding is part of California Climate Investments, which is a statewide initiative aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the
economy, and improving public health and the environment, particularly in disadvantaged communities. Next slide, please. So, as I've shared, the Jetsy project was a very large project with several scope elements, but today I will be um
discussing specifically information and key findings from the workforce development work that TRC did. So, TRC developed a comprehensive zero emission vehicle workforce development plan to support the deployment and operation of electric trucks and charging
infrastructure. This effort included creating a detailed workforce data collection framework and methodology to assess workforce needs, identify training gaps, and evaluate workforce readiness across multiple stakeholder groups. The TRC document
documented training delivery options, workforce partnerships, recruitment and retention strategies, and recommendations for ongoing workforce development. TRC also regularly convened with fleets, electric vehicle supply equipment providers, OEMs, trainers, and
project partners to regularly discuss and document training needs and gaps, training delivery options and locations, project progress and current and future workforce needs as well as training performance metrics, uh data collection
and so on. So to gather information um on from both workforce partners as well as training um attendees TRC developed digitized and analyzed workforce data through two digital surveys. One was for
training participants and another for the training providers to evaluate the training effectiveness, workforce needs and opportunities for improvement with questions that were post during and pre-training from the participants. The
training participant survey collected data on education level um certifications that they might have feedback on the training core competencies and how prepared they felt after the training. The training provider survey however collected data
on more employee level information from the company's perspective such as employee count training certifications that they offer employee capabilities that they expect after the training. um and metrics to analyze workforce training performance. In addition, uh
TRC established key performance indicators to measure workforce outcomes related to driver operations and truck maintenance and identified workforce requirements across the full EV charging infrastructure lifestyle, including
EVSSE planning, permitting, design, construction, installation, commissioning, operations, and finally maintenance. findings were used to inform workforce planning recommendations, training priorities, and long-term strategies to
support successful ZEB adoption and program sustainability. Next slide, please. So, to enable a successful transition to battery electric trucks, comprehensive and specialized training was implemented for the workforce that will interact
with the vehicles, including fleet managers, service technicians, and professional drivers. A key portion of the Jetsy project included providing workforce development opportunities for these professionals as project partners undergo the deployment of the BETs.
Project partners provided specialized trainings in the categories on this slide to ensure that the workforce is equipped with the necessary skills to operate and maintain these trucks. This training not only supports the transition to ZE technology but also
created job opportunities and promoted career advancement within this industry. In total, this effort offered over 35 specialized trainings to drivers, maintenance technicians, and managers. And the Jet workforce development plan included both in-person and online
training sessions with a focus on hands-on experience. Training participants also received various certifications including high voltage safety and battery maintenance which are crucial for the safe and efficient operation of BET. Next slide please. So
in the next few slides I'll talk about some key findings from the workforce plan as well as the surveys that were distributed and analyzed. So survey results showed promising gains in technology acceptance and lessons learned for future deployments. Feedback
from participants showed that there was initial resistance to new technology, but ultimately given enough time, they became comfortable. Many drivers were accustomed to traditional diesel-powered trucks and showed resistance to transitioning to new systems, fearing
that they will lose productivity or comfort. Drivers also had reluctancy with new software and technology such as automated transmission trucks. But given enough time, drivers saw the benefit of the technology. Similarly, hands-on
training in supplement to virtual or web-based trainings were the most beneficial. Results also showed a strong case for continued workforce development. In the short term, there are strong and favorable conditions due
to driver shortages and continued growth in freight shipping, specifically in long haul and last mile deliveries. New technology such as automation does pose a risk, but there will still be consistent demand for drivers in the
near term as many automation pilots still require a human operator as a backup. The project also highlighted the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing among industry stakeholders. Regular workshops, hands-on training, and opportunities for
end users to share best practices were identified as key strategies for successful technology adoption. Project partners emphasized the need for continuous learning programs to keep the workforce updated on evolving
technologies in batteries, software, and regulations. The Jetsy project serves as a model for future fleet electrification efforts, demonstrating the importance of innovative collaboration, comprehensive workforce development, and adherence to
ind industry standards and regulations. The project's success in deploying BETs and supporting infrastructure in Southern California also showcases the potential for zero emission technologies to transform the freight industry, reduce GHG emissions, and create
economic opportunities for workforce professionals and job seekers. So, let's look at some additional key findings from TRC's analysis in the next slide. So survey respondents represented a cross-section of the workforce involved
in battery electric truck truck deployment including drivers, maintenance technicians, and supervisors. The workforce was predominantly male and primarily identified as Hispanic or Latino or white. Participants reflected a mix of
newer and experienced workers with ages ranging from 25 to over 50 years old. Most respondents reported having a high school diploma as a high highest level of education, though some had pursued additional post-secary education.
Respondents also represented a range of how long they've been at the job with many having worked in their current position for approximately two years and others remaining within their employers for significantly longer. The demographic profile highlights that
successful workforce development efforts must be accessible to workers with diverse levels of experience and educational backgrounds. The mix of drivers, technicians, and supervisors provided valuable perspectives on training effectiveness and technology
adoption across multiple job functions. Survey results also suggest that training programs should continue to emphasize practical hands-on learning approaches that support both experienced workers adapting to the new technologies as well as newer employees developing
the skills for battery electric vehicle operations and maintenance. Next slide please. So some key findings from the training specifically survey results also indicated that the
training programs were effective in preparing participants for their roles and as well um was and was wellreceived across the workforce. Most respondents rated the quality of training, the instructor delivery and the training
length positively, suggesting that the overall training approach met participant expectations. Participants generally reported feeling prepared to perform their day-to-day responsibilities, including vehicle inspections and maintenance activities.
While overall training outcomes were positive, the results identified several opportunities for future improvement. Drivers generally reported higher confidence level than maintenance personnel, indicating a need for additional technical training and
support for maintenance related roles. Survey feedback also revealed that initial resistance to battery electric vehicles, new software platforms, and automated technologies decreased as participants gained hands-on experience and became more familiar with the
equipment. Participants also expressed interest in refresher courses and more advanced training on battery systems, charging infrastructure, diagnostics, and maintenance practices. Many also identified value in crossf functional training that provides a better
understanding of both the vehicle and charging systems helping workers better troubleshoot issues and understand how the technologies interact within fleet operations. Next slide please.
So, one other um noteworthy Jet Sea activity uh that was developed and published was a battery electric truck fleet toolkit to help California fleets build foundational knowledge of ZE
vehicle deployment. Designed as an introductory resource, the toolkit provides practical guidance on key aspects of fleet electrification, including regulatory requirements, fleet transition planning, vehicle procurement, funding and incentive
opportunities, charging infrastructure deployment, and publicly available resources. It also offers recommendations for establishing dedicated electrification teams and navigating common implementation challenges, helping
fleets make informed decisions and better prepare for the transition to battery electric truck operations. Next slide, please. And finally, to learn more about the Jetsy project and how TRC can support
you, um I've provided links on this slide. So, please take a look and let us know how we can support you. Uh and like Trey mentioned, the slide deck will be shared with you, which also has my contact information. And I look forward to connecting you all and learning about
how I can uh be of assistance to you. Thank you so much. All right, great Angela. We sure do appreciate you highlighting how the Jetsy Initiative is building the skilled workforce needed to support largecale fleet electrification.
So with that, uh we'll now have our second presentation from Jared Wright. Uh Jared's a principal air quality planner here at the council of governments and works on the alternative fuels and energy team with a focus on increasing availability of alternative fuel infrastructure within our region
which is a north central Texas region especially uh having to do with zero emission funding um fueling rather infrastructure. We ask that you please welcome Jared as he provides us with an overview of two neckog alternative fuel workforce
initiatives to help prepare for the transition to an increase in electric vehicles. Jared. >> Yeah, thanks for the intro Trey. Good afternoon y'all. Um so yeah, today I'll be presenting on a couple different initiatives we have on um zero emission vehicle workforce. But to get us started
off, just want to give an overview of who we are and kind of my role here within the council of government. So, if you all have attended some of these webinars hosted by Trey before, um you might already be familiar with the council government. Just kind of as a quick overview for anyone unfamiliar, we are the regional planning agency for all
16 counties in the DFW area that you see there on the map. And then we also do all the transportation planning for the 12 counties that make up our metropolitan planning area kind of outlined in black there on the map as well. And then also on the map, you'll see ozone monitors for our region. Um, a lot of our work that we do is through
the lens of air quality, uh, to bring our region into attainment for, um, ozone standards, um, which has not really been improving over time, but by getting more zero mission alternative fuel vehicles on the road, um, hopefully we can continue to, to improve air quality. And then within my role here at
the council of governments, like Trey mentioned, I focus on alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure. And through that, I wear many different hats. Sometimes it's as a council government's employee, but also a lot of the work we do is through the department of energy designated Dallas for clean cities
coalition. So it's a kind of a national program that I'll get into more detail on in a second. Um, but some of our projects are maybe more of a council government's project, maybe more of a Dallas with clean cities project, but it's all with the same end goal of reducing emissions and improving air quality in the region.
So on the next slide here, you can see some details on Dallas for Fort Worth clean cities. Um, so like I mentioned, this is a national program from Department of Energy. Um, so we have counterpart coalitions throughout the state in Houston, San Antonio, and central Texas. And there's also a new one in South Texas as well down in the
valley area. Um, but there's also a wide variety of national Quincies coalitions across the country that we can work with and draw some resources from. So we coordinate with them constantly and get some learnings from them as well. But basically there's a whole network of similar coalitions that we can kind of
use as a resource um for our work here and our mission at house fourth clean cities is to again improve air quality. We want to promote clean reliable accessible and sustainable transportation technologies in the region. So we want to do that primarily by increasing efficiency and reducing emissions from transportation. And we
work a lot with public sector fleets um as a local government. We have a lot of great relationships with local municipalities um but private fleets as well as an area looking to always grow. And then with our within our team, we have kind of three main areas to help meet these goals. Um we have a section of our team that works on fleet and
driver guidance and planning. And the section that I lead on infrastructure planning and readiness and as well as energy integration uh where we work to make sure that when these vehicles that are electric connect to the grid that the grid is clean and reliable and the grid can support increased vehicle electrification.
And like I mentioned, a lot of our work is through fleet support. So, for those of you all that are with organizations that have fleets or manage your own fleets, um please reach out to us if any of this sounds interesting. Um we can work to match vehicles to um open funding resources and we also host funding ourselves that I'll get to in a
second. And we can also offer training on alternative fuel vehicle tools and resources. And then we can also help you plan to transition your fleet to a zero emission vehicle or any other alternative fuel. So, switching gears here into what I'll be talking more about today is our zero
emission vehicle training efforts. So, this kind of crosses both sectors of our team, both vehicle and infrastructure. Um, so we've kind of created this this busy flowchart here, but I'll try to walk you through it on some of the initiatives that we've seen uh both nationally, statewide, and regionally, and some of those gaps that we're hoping
to fill. Um, so this flowchart's broken down into different kind of training sectors, and then by fuel type, either battery electric or fuel cell. hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is the other uh fuel type we mean when we say zero emission vehicle or and then light duty and heavy
duty as far as vehicle sectors. So, regarding vehicle maintenance and repair, um when we look at dealerships and repair shops that may have one of these vehicles come in to work on them, um for battery electric, we have seen some resources on the light duty side um at regional levels at local community
and technical colleges. And then on the heavy duty side and for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, we feel like there's a gap there both regionally and maybe nationally and statewide for uh fuel cell electric vehicle training since that's kind of such a new technology. There are fuel cell vehicles on the
road. um mostly on the west coast in California and Oregon, but there is actually a hydrogen refilling station um at UT Austin. It's kind of a a pilot project prototype, but they actually have several light duty hydrogen vehicles operating down there. So, these vehicles do exist. They're out there. Um
and we want to make sure we have the training and resources in our region to support them so they are able to be run on the road here and adopted. The next segment here is on safety. Um so looking at um firefighters and police officers and tow truck operators when they're responding to an incident
involving these vehicles. So as we get more of these vehicles on the road in our region um for battery electric vehicles, we feel like there's some resources both statewide and nationally. But then again, heavy duty electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles, we feel like there's a gap there. Um so both those arrows point
down to our regional North Texas zero emission vehicle grant. So I'll go over that in a second here, but that's that's one of our programs. are hoping to fill in some of those gaps. And then same thing on the infrastructure side um for battery electric vehicles, there is some resources there for both installing and
maintaining electric vehicle charging stations and I have highlighted there the gumbo curriculum which I'll talk about at the end of our presentation here. Um but for fuel cell electric vehicles, there's really not a lot of resources out there. Um so again, still a very growing area. We're hoping to kind of fill in some of these gaps and
make sure that there's resources in our region to support the growing both battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. So now I'll get into more detail on our North Texas emission vehicle project. Um so if you can advance the slide here and then maybe one more I can go ahead and
get past this. So kind of as an overview of the entire project, there's multiple facets to it. Um, so this is a part of a a EPA award that we were awarded back in 2025 and now we're kind of in the middle of the implementation phase. Um, so this is a $60 million award from EPA and the
bulk of that funding over $58 million is to fund rebates for again these zero emission vehicles, specifically class 5 and six vehicles, which I'll get into in a second on what that means. Um, but we currently have the funding open to uh find rebates for these vehicles and
replace existing diesel vehicles on the road. That next deadline is this this Friday, July 19th. Um, but I realize that's probably too soon for y'all that are just now hearing about this to apply. We do have a rolling deadline every third Friday of the month until the funding is exhausted. And then as
part of this funding, we also have a set aside for zero mission vehicle training. So this is that first responder piece I was just talking about. So, we're looking to get trainers in the region to help make sure our first responders and any fleets adopting these vehicles know what to do in case an incident happens
with these vehicles, whether it's an accident or a malfunction while it's recharging or refilling, that they're equipped to respond and know what to do in the event of an accident. And then last here, primus key to what we're talking about today, we do have over a million dollars set aside for workforce development activities um for these
vehicles. So right now we're currently meeting with regional industry partners and education partners um to make sure we can understand the priorities that are needed um as these vehicles come to our region what we need to do to make sure that the industry and education partners are prepared to adopt these
vehicles. So I'll get into more detail on that as well. That's kind of an overview of this this entire project which has a few different facets. So here you can see um what we're able to fund through these call for projects. So this is the deadline that I mentioned that ends this Friday and then there'll be rolling deadline every month. Um so
we are funding rebates to replace class six or seven vocational vehicles as EPA calls it with zero mission trucks. Um so you can see some examples of what that means there. You all may have some of these in your fleet so you may not be aware of it. Um so this is um anything from box trucks to step vans, bucket
trucks, even transit buses, refuge haulers would be eligible and then there is some other types of trucks that would be eligible. Um, so if there's anything that y'all are thinking might be eligible, you're not sure, feel free to reach out to us. We can help. Um, but the funding for this is again a rebate structure which should hopefully
simplify and make it a bit of a a quicker process for anyone getting vehicles funded through us for this. And it must be battery, electric, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. And it'll fund up to 80% of the cost of the vehicle depending on the vehicle type, the age of the replacement vehicle. Um, and then if
you're getting funding infrastruure not to help support that vehicle, we can also fund that as well. So if you need to add a charging station to your fleet depot um to support this vehicle, that is eligible as well. And there's very few limits on eligibility for this. So both public and private sector fleets
would be eligible. This next slide here has some more details on resources for potential applicants. Um, so again, rolling deadline every month and we do have weekly office hours on Mondays at 10 a.m. Um, for anyone interested, you're not sure what's eligible, if you're interested in applying, um, please, uh,
join join us for those office hours. And then also through this program, because it's an EPA program, they've partnered with the National Lab of the Rockies to provide free application assistance um, to any applicants in our region. So, you all would be able to tap into that that assistance to help with your application and maybe helping find out what is
eligible within your fleets. We have a lot of other resources available, recordings from different workshops we've had on this. This pro project has been open for a couple months now. Um, you can find all that at nctcog.orgx. And also, if y'all maybe are interested in applying for this yourselves, um, but
you may know someone that is, we ask y'all to pre-re spread the word. We have a lot of funding available. We want to get this um, doled out in our region as soon as we can. Um, so please help us get this funding um, applied for. So now I'll kind of switch gears a little bit and go into more detail on
the workforce development task force that we've created. So again, this is all funded through the same EPA initiative um that we were awarded. And here we're trying to make sure we have the workforce in our region to support the adoption of these vehicles. So we've created a sort of task force of both industry and educational partners to
make sure um that we can adopt these vehicles in our region. And so some of the goals of that task force is to identify any potential challenges or barriers to adopting these vehicles. Um seeing what those labor needs are and then also identifying any priority priority investments to address training
gaps. So we're currently kind of conducting meetings with these organizations and identifying what those needs are and anyone involved in this um would just be able to provide their insight. I'm not really a hard lift and then attending a few meetings here and there. So if you are interested, please reach out to us and you can find more
details on the DFW clean city's website. On the next slide here, you can see kind of a status of where we are. Like I mentioned, we've been holding um kind of engagement meetings over the past month or so. So we had one with first the industry kind of private sector partners and they identified a lack of skilled technicians on their side, kind of a
misalignment with the education side and then some equipment and infrastructure gaps. And then we also met with the education partners. So local community colleges and technical colleges. And from there we heard that there was uncertainty in the workforce pipeline making sure these graduates will have
jobs or what kind of jobs they will have. Um and along that same line kind of a lack of standardized um job titles, descriptions, skill sets needed and then again equipment resource gaps as challenges that they're seeing as well. So that's where we're looking to kind of
hear what the feedback is and identify a plan to hopefully we can use some of the funding to bridge some of these gaps and create a more robust workforce in the region to support these vehicles. So we're going to continue having these discussions. Um we just had another meeting on this yesterday afternoon actually and another one next week. So
this is very much an ongoing process, but if you are interested in being involved in this, please let us know. Um, this is something that we're hoping to get a lot of feedback on very shortly here. Um, so we can kind of um, determine what the best use of that $1.3 million we have in this funding.
And then here we kind of have a summary of what we heard before we applied to EPA and ordered this funding of what we heard from education partners. Um so we had some letters of support submitted to us and part of our application and from that we heard um there's some interest in curriculum development, structural
materials, training equipment, student scholarship and then as well as some kind of equipment requests, some more big ticket items that may be a bit easier to fund with the structure of this program that would have kind of a quicker turnaround. Um so from there we heard things like vehicle lists um
chargers for use at training facilities um simulation training and then also a battery fire extinguishing system for for safety at these training facilities. So these are kinds of things that we're thinking about and we're always looking for more suggestions or ideas on what y'all are looking for and either your own organizations or what you've heard
may be a good use of of funds for this as another kind of a gap that we could help fill. Um, so this kind of the direction that we're looking to go in the next several months here as we finalize um, where we plan to spend this funding. And then here, um, just want to ask you all quick question. If you'll have
answers now or if you want to follow up later, that's great. Uh, but just want to see if you'all have any feedback on the questions here regarding the zero mission vehicle workforce either for your organization or what you've heard. um if y'all have any identified biggest challenges you've seen and any thoughts on how prepared your organization may be
to support your mission vehicle workforce. So, I'll pause there if anyone wants to speak up. Um but if not, please email us your thoughts. >> Hello. Um my name is Rodney Taylor. Um and I'm one of the diesel instructors at Cedar Valley Dallas College Cedar Valley
campus. And everything you're saying is wonderful. we we are behind. So, we don't have um we're we're still teaching diesel. Um so, we hadn't transitioned into any electrical or any um and so I would love to hear more. That's one of
the things we've really been wanting to um kind of input into our organization and so um uh any help or or any guidance would be uh definitely appreciated. >> Great. Yeah. Thanks, Rodney. I know we have some contact at Dallas College and
so we can make sure you're roped in. I know we have another session next, let me just check my calendar real quick. We're looking to get feedback from educational partners such as yourself next I want to say it's next let's see uh Tuesday at 3M. So I can follow up
after this meeting and send you some more details on that. >> But yeah, >> great. Yeah. So yeah, just looking to get feedback on where you're at and how we can help you all kind of yeah get started and get more involved. um adopting some training efforts for zero mission vehicles.
>> Okay. >> All right. Well, if anyone else has any feedback on that, I'll pause for one more second, but then I'll switch gears to the second kind of workforce training initiative we have that's somewhat related. All right, go ahead. Go ahead and advance there, Anthony. Thank you. So, this next initiative that we'll be
talking about is called Gumbo. Um, it's not the food. It started off as the food because this was a project in partnership with the Louisiana Clean Cities Coalition actually. Um, so this was once a clever acronym that spilled out gumbo. Um, but has since been renamed and is now just gumbo. Um but to
kind of give you all an overview, the Scumbar project is a workforce development program that offers a free curriculum to higher education institutions um to offer training for zero emission vehicle or for electric vehicle charging stations basically to operate and maintain them as well as
install them. So, this is a curriculum that's being developed again in Louisiana and it's currently um developed in partnership with a community college out in Louisiana and some other organizations and it's to help prepare students that take this curriculum um for an SAPE international
um electric vehicle supply equipment certification exam and we get them certified to work on electric vehicle chargers and then it's now sort of it's I believe the first class is happening now or it happened earlier this month and then it's also being adopted by several other community colleges um that
have partnered across the country um to to offer this curriculum themselves. Um so it's a full curriculum package available for anyone interested. Um so we're we're able to send that out to y'all and y'all can start looking at that and seeing how you would integrate within your curriculum or within your
courses. Um it's pretty flexible. Um it can be held in as little as like four weeks I believe or it can be a longer full semester thing. Uh we've seen it as an add-on for already like technicians maybe working on HVAC systems and they want to add [clears throat] working on electrical supply equipment um to their
kind of portfolios as something that they can work on. Um so this is a project that's been going on for a few years now. It's kind of in its final stages now the curriculum's been developed. We're helping out helping to disseminate that. On the next slide here we have some of those topics that I just mentioned. So it goes over electric
vehicles and batteries. um the fundamentals of electric electrical codes and safety and of course charging stations and then the maintenance corrective maintenance and sort of the industry standards of them. So our role within this program as TFW
clean cities uh we're connecting this curriculum with community college in the region and other community based organizations to help recruit students. We want to make sure we can get community college in the region to adopt this curriculum, implement it, and then assist them with any questions they have um with the folks that created this curriculum. And then we're also hoping
to connect graduates of this program with employment opportunities. So we've been getting um some interest from employers that are saying, "Hey, you know, we've would love to hire people that go through this curriculum." Um so we're always collecting that feedback and passing it off to the community colleges that are interested in adopting this. Um so they know that there is
there is a pipeline for these students that take these classes are able to to find jobs after they graduate. So we're hoping to get at least one community college to adopt this in our region. And then uh we have now completed at least four local stakeholders to support the program. Um so that includes community
based organizations. We had local municipalities, other local organizations as well as utilities as well. So this is something that's still ongoing. Um so if you're interested in this again, please reach out to us. And I [clears throat] think that's everything from my side. My contact
information is here and I understand we'll be sending out the slides and recording. Um, but always feel free to reach out uh if you'all have any questions on anything I presented today. >> Great. Uh Jared, we sure do appreciate you providing an overview of uh Netco
zero emission vehicle infrastructure workforce initiatives and also for highlighting the efforts underway uh to prepare our region's workforce for the growing adoption of electric vehicles and alternative fuel technologies. Uh so with that, let's go ahead and uh
cover a few questions. Um I don't see any in the chat um at the moment, but we were uh sent some in in advance. Uh we have one uh from Rick Malik with Naki. Um he had asked um and this is for
whichever one of the two want to handle this. Uh he was asking uh what market share will heavy duty battery electric vehicles have in 2030? whichever one of you two might be able to answer that. And I could try to create a response. I
don't know if you have something. >> Sure. Go for it, Jared. >> Sure. Yeah, it's a good question. I think, you know, we're kind of at a a pivot point right now with um Brad electric trucks in that kind of heavy duty space. Um the Tesla Semi is coming online. I think it might be in
production now, or at least it will be later this year. And we do have some Tesla Semi um heavy duty charging stations being developed in our region. Um so those are hoping to come online. I was told this summer or in the next few months and there's I think at least three of them in just the north central
Texas area and if you go on Tesla's website I think there's 17 across the whole whole state of Texas and even more nationwide. Um, so I think that is kind of something where we're seeing a lot of interest from fleets that may really kind of change their interest because it has a lot longer range than some other
zer mission vehicles we've seen. Um, so I don't know the exact percentage I could say in 2030. Um, but I think it once they start proving their use case and get beyond kind of the pilot stage that they're in now, um, we may see a lot of fleets interested in in um,
deploying surmission vehicles as they become operating in our region. We do have several now and it continues to grow. We we track EV registration data both light duty and heavy duty for our region on our website at DFW clean cities. Um and it's a sector that's very small right now but you know once it's
past that initial test stage and fleets see that it works I imagine it'll only continue to grow. >> Great. Uh thanks Jared and we'll have go ahead and entertain a second question uh that was sent in from Sarah Dalos with TRC companies. Uh she asked how can we
encourage public and private uh collaborations for public agencies, funding agencies and etc. to support educational programs to train people for ZEV technology maintenance jobs. That's actually my colleague um that
submitted that question. And I think that's a good question for maybe people on the call. Um, you know, partnership opportunities, ways to collaborate. Um, are there any best practices that companies on the call have implemented?
Oh, well, um, no, no feedback there, but I think it's like Jared mentioned, the industry is is changing and we're constantly, um, listening and learning and pivoting to, you know, what the need
is and then based on that looking for opportunities uh funding opportunities, incentive opportunities as well as partnership opportunities to whether it's educational institutions or um community- based organizations for
collaboration. So I as as I see projects and proposals that we work on, there's always a partnership and collaboration component. So I think no matter you know how much the industry changes that's always a pivotal
um point to bringing projects to to life. So I think that that aspect will will not change. >> All right. Well uh I think that's all the questions that we'll take today. Uh we'll actually adjourn a little bit earlier than usual.
Uh so uh before we adjourn, I'd like to um take a moment to share details in our next webinar session. Uh and that one's titled sustainability metrics and reporting best practices for fleets. And we'll host that one on Wednesday uh
September the 16th uh 2026 at 100 p.m. Central time. Uh you'll see that uh we have the uh registration link um down below and our presenters will be announced at a later date. Uh since
everyone attending this live session will receive a copy of the presentation, you'll actually be able to click on that link to register for that session. Our last slide, please. All right. Well, finally, I'd like to uh once again say thank you to our
presenters and everybody who's attended this session. Uh this is our contact information for uh both me and also Jason Brown who's our program manager. So if you have any questions uh please feel free to reach out. Uh this is the fifth of a series of webinars that uh
SMART is hosting and we hope to see you at our next and final uh session of our um 2025 to 26 webinar series. Uh this one being about sustainability metrics and reporting on September 16th, 2026.