Students at two Ventura high schools could be learning to repair electric cars and bicycles as early as fall 2025 with the help of a state grant.
Ventura Unified School District was awarded a $650,000 K-12 Strong Workforce Program grant to be used at Buena and Ventura high schools to purchase new equipment, train teachers and make infrastructure upgrades for its technical training classes called the Automotive Career Pathway, according to a district news release.
“This investment will advance opportunities for our students, equipping them with the skills needed to thrive in the rapidly evolving automotive and green technology sectors,” Superintendent Antonio Castro said in the release.
Established in 2018 by the California Department of Education, the workforce program spends $150 million across the state annually for career technical education coursework and programs, like the ones already offered at Buena and Ventura high schools, the release said.
Ventura Unified’s funding is part of $9.8 million that was designated for the region that includes Ventura County, according to the state’s education department.
The Automotive Career Pathway is a set of courses offered by the high schools to prepare students for a future in automotive repair. The program serves 276 students at both schools, said Rene Rickard, the district’s chief innovation officer. The upgrades will also be available to students outside of the automotive pathway who work in adjacent fields like the environmental and information technology pathways.
Two students from the class of 2023 expressed interest in an auto training programs after graduation, while six students from the class of 2024 expressed that they would pursue post-secondary auto program training, Rickard said. Oxnard and Ventura community colleges both offer auto repair programs.
“This grant will not only enhance our automotive pathways but will also foster collaboration across sectors, preparing students for a future where technology and sustainability intersect,” Rickard said in a news release.
The school district plans to evaluate what is necessary for the curriculum in the coming year.
The initiative partners with the Ventura County Community College District and local businesses in the field to help students advance their careers. College staff and industry partners will recommend the level of infrastructure change needed, equipment to purchase, curriculum to revise and more.
