Monday, January 16, 2023
The JPS Foundation’s Project eDrive is now accepting applications for 200 persons to be trained as Electric Vehicle Technicians. The training, which is being administered through HEART NSTA / Trust, comprises two programmes: the Electric/Hybrid Vehicle Routine Maintenance Level 2 Programme and the Electric/Hybrid Vehicle System Repair and Replacement Level 3 Programme.
The Electric/Hybrid Vehicle Routine Maintenance Level 2 Programme, introduces experienced auto mechanics to this specialised industry sector, and complements their current industry qualifications and experience in motor vehicle repairs. NVQ-J Level 1 certification in Motor Vehicle Repairs or any other equivalent qualification and experience is required for entry. The Level 2 programme is designed for persons required to do routine maintenance of electric/hybrid vehicles. This programme will run for 12 months.
The second programme, the 18-month Electric/Hybrid Vehicle System Repair and Replacement Level 3 Programme, will enable experienced mechanics to maintain and repair electric/hybrid vehicles. Persons who complete this programme can be employed as electric/hybrid vehicle maintenance and repair technicians. Entry into this programme requires NVQ-J Level 2 certification in Motor Vehicle Repairs or any other equivalent qualification and or experience to obtain the foundational competencies and skills.
The training programmes for persons to work in the electric vehicle sector form part of a larger strategy to create a sustainable ecosystem for the anticipated growth in electric mobility locally. Project eDrive is a partnership between the JPS Foundation and the IDB Lab, and is one of several initiatives being put in place to ensure that Jamaica is ready for the fusion of energy and transportation.
One of Project eDrive’s primary objectives is Technical Capacity Building and Training. This includes the development and integration of an electric vehicle training curriculum in the national training programme. Through Project eDrive’s leadership, Jamaica became the first country in the Caribbean to establish an EV Training Programme with trainers certified by the UK-based Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).
Persons interested in participating in the EV Technician training may complete the application forms at the links on eDrive’s Instagram and Facebook pages @edriveja. Training will take place at the following HEART NSTA /Trust locations: the Jamaican-German Automotive School (JAGAS) in Kingston; the Southwest TVET Institute – Derrick Rochester Campus in St Elizabeth; and the Port Maria Vocational Training Centre in St Mary.
This phase of Electric Vehicle Training follows on the heels of eDrive’s Train the Trainer Programme, executed in 2022 in partnership with EINTAC Ltd and HEART/NSTA Trust. Fifteen (15) Instructors participated and received IMI Electric/Hybrid Vehicle Certifications. These certified instructors will now deliver the training for technicians and other individuals to work on the maintenance and repair of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV).
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