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ZEV Education Program

Advancing Education and Training for Zero Emission Vehicles and Transportation

Advancing California’s clean transportation future through community college partnerships, student leadership development, and workforce partnership building.

The Foundation for California Community Colleges, in partnership with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), leads statewide education, awareness, and engagement initiatives to expand zero-emission vehicle and transportation (ZEV/ZET) career pathways across the California Community Colleges.

About the Program

California is leading the nation’s transition to zero-emission transportation,and that transition depends on a skilled, diverse workforce. Through this CARB-funded initiative, we work with eight California community colleges to strengthen their ZEV and ZET automotive technology programs, train student ambassadors to conduct peer-to-peer outreach, and build connections between state agencies, industry partners, colleges, and the communities they serve.

Our Goals Include:

  • Expanding awareness of ZEV career pathways, especially in communities where there is a growing demand or unmet need 
  • Training and supporting student ambassadors in peer-to-peer and peer-to-community outreach
  • Reaching high school students to build awareness of affordable education and training opportunities through their local community college’s automotive programs 
  • Strengthening partnerships between colleges, state agencies, employers, and community-based, workforce development organizations

Participating Colleges

Eight California Community Colleges are participating in this initiative, each bringing unique strengths and serving diverse communities across the state:

CollegesParticipation Status
Chaffey CollegeFunded • Student Ambassadors Active
San Joaquin Delta CollegeFunded • Student Ambassadors Active
Merced CollegeFunded • Student Ambassadors Active
Cosumnes River CollegeFunded • Student Ambassadors Active
Evergreen Valley CollegeStudent Ambassadors Active
Mendocino CollegeStudent Ambassadors Active
Southwestern CollegeFunded
Ventura CollegeFunded

Convenings and Other Events

We bring together college faculty, industry partners, and workforce development organizations to share resources and collaborate on strengthening ZEV career pathways.

Stakeholder Convening #1:

Mid-to-Late January 2026 (date TBD)

Capstone Convening:

Early March 2026 (date TBD)

Events:

More events coming soon.

Applicant Webinar Recording

A prospective applicant webinar with information and step-by-step instructions about this CFI opportunity was hosted by FoundationCCC on Thursday, September 12, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. View the recording, slide deck, and Q&A here.

Webinar Slides
Webinar Q&A

Required Application Resources

*All applicants must include:
Budget Template
Work Plan Template
Letter of Support Template

Get Involved and Stay Connected

Stay connected with the Zero Emission Transportation Education Program. Sign up to recieve updates on events, workforce development resources, and opportunities to engage with California’s clean transportation community.

Funder Acknowledgment

This project is funded by the California Air Resources Board through California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing a variety of benefits to California residents.