Vancouver will have a new electric vehicle (EV) training program for automotive technicians in 2020.
The EV Maintenance Training Program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has successfully completed its first pilot and will be available as a part-time studies course in the new year.
The newly developed program will make sure the province’s workforce has the skills and training needed to support more electric vehicles on the road. Under government’s CleanBC plan, all new light-duty vehicles sold in BC by 2040 will be zero-emission vehicles.
“This training program is a game changer and part of where the world is going as we switch to zero-emission vehicles,” said Michelle Mungall, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.
“BC has the fastest increase of EVs on the road, with 30,000 now. So we’re going to need mechanics, and BC is the first province to offer this kind of training. This is an example of the thousands of new jobs and opportunities we’ll see under our CleanBC plan to boost the economy, reduce air pollution and make life more affordable.”
With $325,000 in provincial funding through CleanBC, BCIT completed the pilot of the program with the City of Vancouver’s green-fleet technicians. By working with the city, BCIT was able to develop and test an EV curriculum with 12 Red Seal mechanics. The partnership has helped the city on its path to become one of the greenest cities in the world and has continued BCIT’s ongoing leadership in sustainability and training.
