Initiative is designed to ensure supply of trained technicians keeps pace with electric vehicle sales and support province’s zero-emission vehicle goals

The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is launching a training program next year to equip automotive technicians with the skills necessary to maintain and repair electric vehicles.

The British Columbia government, which this year legislated that all new light-duty vehicles sold in B.C. by 2040 must be zero-emission vehicles, provided $325,000 to develop and fund the program through its CleanBC initiative.

“This training program is a game changer and part of where the world is going as we switch to zero-emission vehicles,” says Michelle Mungall, provincial Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. “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.”

An EV leader

British Columbia is already a leading province in the adoption of electric vehicles, with over 30,000 currently on the road. Vancouver itself is home to a municipal electric fleet of 120; its technicians collaborated with BCIT in testing and developing the program.

Nationwide demand for mechanics skilled in EVs is set to increase dramatically in the coming decades. As previously reported by Electric Autonomy Canada, the electric vehicle industry is expected to bring a huge influx of new jobs to Canada. Essential to this transition are programs such as this, which reskill automotive professionals trained to service internal combustion engines.

“This kind of flexible upskilling will be critical in growing the green workforce B.C. and Canada needs to meet our sustainability targets,” says Kathy Kinloch, president of BCIT.

The EV Maintenance Training Program will be offered for part-time studies in early 2020.