More British Columbians can upgrade their skills to work on electric vehicles (EVs) through the expansion of the EV Maintenance Training program to three more post-secondary institutions, reaching more B.C. communities.
“We’re supporting the growing popularity of electric vehicles by helping auto technicians develop the skills they need to work on EVs in service centres across B.C.,” said Bruce Ralston, B.C.’s Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “The expansion of the EV Maintenance Training program will help grow our EV sector and make it even easier for British Columbians to make the switch to an EV, putting us on the road to a cleaner, better future.”
Under the Province’s CleanBC Go Electric program and in partnership with Trades Training BC, the program will soon be offered at Vancouver Island University, College of the Rockies and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. This expansion will prepare British Columbians for good-paying jobs of the future.
“Through CleanBC, we’re accelerating the transition to electric vehicles and helping people get the skills they need to compete in the clean economy,” said George Heyman, B.C.’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “The expansion of the EV Maintenance Training program will mean more opportunities for people in B.C.’s rapidly growing EV industry. By working with post-secondary institutions and the trades sector, we’re helping to reduce emissions and building a cleaner, better future for everyone.”
The British Columbia Institute of Technology launched the EV Maintenance Training program in 2019 to provide Red Seal automotive technicians with the skills they need to work on EVs. In 2021, the program was expanded to Okanagan College, College of New Caledonia and Camosun College.
“As more electric vehicles hit the road in B.C., we need to ensure people are trained to service them,” said Anne Kang, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training. “By working with these post-secondary institutions, we’re preparing our workforce for a clean, innovative economy and giving British Columbians the confidence to go electric, knowing their EVs can be serviced by a professional.”
Red Seal automotive technicians wanting to upgrade their skills in EV maintenance should check each college’s website for course details coming soon. Pilot training is expected to begin at the three additional institutions in fall 2022.
The EV Maintenance Training program aligns with the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030, which details a range of expanded actions to accelerate the transition to a net-zero future and to achieve B.C.’s legislated greenhouse gas emissions targets. These actions include strengthening the Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV) Act to require automakers to meet an escalating annual percentage of new light-duty ZEV sales and leases, reaching 26 per cent of light-duty vehicle sales by 2026, 90 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035 – five years ahead of the original target.
B.C. is the first place in the world to have a 100 per cent zero-emission vehicles law and is leading North America in uptake rates of EVs at 13 per cent of new light-duty vehicle sales in 2021.
To learn more about Vancouver Island University, visit: https://www.viu.ca/
To learn more about College of the Rockies, visit: https://cotr.bc.ca/
To learn more about Kwantlen Polytechnic University, visit: https://www.kpu.ca/
To learn more about Trades Training BC, visit: https://www.tradestrainingbc.ca/
To learn more about the suite of CleanBC Go Electric programming, visit:
www.gov.bc.ca/zeroemissionvehicles
To learn more about the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030, visit: https://cleanbc.gov.bc.ca/
Featured image: Vancouver Island University.
