2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The rapid electrification of transportation has highlighted significant gaps between academic training pathways and industry workforce needs, as evidenced by the findings of the National Electric Vehicle Consortium (NEVC) survey

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. Yet, electric vehicles represent only one dimension of a broader transformation underway across renewable energy (RE), energy storage (ES), and unmanned aerial systems (UAS). These domains intersect in complex ways that demand new technician competencies and highlight the continuing misalignment between two-year college programs and industry demands.

This expansion of the NEVC study examines how lessons learned from the EV sector apply to adjacent industries. Renewable energy and energy storage are central to the nation’s decarbonization goals, driving demand for technicians who can install, maintain, and integrate solar, wind, and hybrid storage systems into evolving grid infrastructure. Survey data revealed that while 20% of academic programs report preparing graduates for energy storage roles, more than 35% of industry employers identified this as a priority need

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. This imbalance mirrors the EV findings, where academic emphasis lags behind industry demand, suggesting an urgent need for curricular modernization.

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) add another emerging layer of complexity. Once the domain of defense and hobbyist applications, UAS are now widely adopted in energy and environmental sectors for tasks such as infrastructure inspection, precision agriculture, and renewable siting. Industry stakeholders increasingly require technicians trained in FAA licensure, remote sensing, and data analytics. Yet, only a small fraction of two-year colleges currently embed UAS certification pathways into their curricula. As a result, industry hiring managers often prioritize candidates with informal training or third-party credentials, echoing challenges identified in the EV certification landscape.

Collectively, these findings underscore the need for a cross-sector, standardized approach to technician education that leverages the adaptability of two-year colleges while meeting the rapidly evolving needs of the industry. The analysis suggests three strategic imperatives: (1) embedding nationally recognized certifications into RE, ES, and UAS programs to ensure mobility and employer recognition; (2) integrating interdisciplinary modules—such as cybersecurity, data management, and safety—into traditional technician tracks; and (3) fostering collaborative consortia that bring together industry, academia, and policy to anticipate future workforce requirements.

For two-year colleges, the opportunity lies in adopting flexible frameworks that align with industry while reducing barriers for students. Without such alignment, graduates risk entering the workforce with credentials of limited value, while industries critical to national competitiveness struggle to fill essential technical roles. By extending the NEVC’s approach beyond EVs, this study highlights both the progress made and the persistent disconnects that must be addressed to prepare a technician workforce capable of supporting the integrated, electrified, and data-driven economy of the future.