With the support of the BC Government’s CleanBC plan, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) launched an electric vehicle (EV) maintenance training program in 2019.
With another $440,00 from CleanBC’s Go Electric program and in partnership with Trades Training BC (TTBC), the popular program has now been expanded to three more colleges in the province.
The new funding will see the EV Maintenance Training program offered at Camosun College’s Interurban campus in Victoria, Okanagan College’s Kelowna campus, and College of New Caledonia’s Prince George campus.
“We know from speaking with our students and with industry that there is huge interest and a real need for EV training. This funding ensures we can tool up to deliver state-of-the-art training that will help our students be in demand and get jobs. It means our students are training with the very latest technologies and training aids. So, it’s a win-win-win for our students, for Okanagan College and for employers,” said Andrew Ross, automotive service technician instructor, Okanagan College.
The programs will be offered this fall at each college. Red Seal automotive technicians wanting to upgrade their skills to include EV maintenance should check each college’s website for details.
Similar programs are also offered in eastern Canada. Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ontario launched a heavy duty EV mechanics course last year. A training program for mechanics wanting to learn how to work on both electric and hybrid-electric vehicles also launched in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
