SUBSIDIZED TRAINING FOR MECHANICS: EV SKILLS FOR HYBRID AND ELECTRIC HEAVY-DUTY VEHICLES
New subsidized EV Skills program for heavy-duty hybrid and electric vehicles now available for mechanics
Company mechanics now have access to partially subsidized training to enhance their skills in heavy-duty hybrid and electric vehicle maintenance. Announced last year with a total investment of $7 million from the Québec government via the Commission des partenaires du marché de travail (CPMT), this training program will enable hundreds of workers to be trained in a cutting-edge field, as well as contributing to Québec’s green shift.
Comprising five modules, the training will last around 200 hours, and will be given during working hours. The subsidy offered by the Québec government has made it possible to cover all the training development costs, as well as reimbursing part of the salaries of the mechanics who will be trained.
Within 10 years, over 2,000 mechanics should have been trained. The training responds to the urgent need for transport electrification, while promoting the important role of heavy-duty hybrid and electric vehicle mechanics. “The Heavy-Duty Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Skills program aims to build the required skills in electricity, safety intervention, understanding of the operation of heavy-duty hybrid and electric road vehicles and buses, as well as the specific characteristics related to the repair and maintenance of this new type of vehicle,” explains Mr. Bruno Sauriol, technical project manager, trade expert, Heavy-Duty Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Skills Program.
The official announcement of the start of training was made at the Centre de formation professionnelle Paul Rousseau’s Centre de mécanique de véhicules lourds in Saint-Germain-de-Grantham. A dozen instructors have been trained and are now able to offer the first two levels of the curriculum. All levels of training (five modules) will be available by the end of this year.
As one of the project’s promoters, Luc Trempe, General Manager of the Comité paritaire de l’industrie de l’automobile de la Mauricie, explains: “All industry partners stand to gain from this additional training. It’s vital that as many mechanics as possible take the course, to ensure their health and safety when working on heavy-duty hybrid and electric vehicles. We are proud to promote and support these training courses to ensure that mechanics’ skills are enhanced in the face of the electrification of transport, and we are proud to be working to support the industry with regard to continuing education.”
Companies also have the option of having an in-house trainer take the training, so that he or she can in turn provide it to mechanics. For the time being, training can also be taken at the Centre de formation de mécanique de véhicules lourds of the Centre de formation professionnelle Paul Rousseau in Saint-Germain-de-Grantham. The training schedule is available here.
BV : Sébastien Schneeberger, Member of Parliament for Drummond-Bois-Francs and Chairman of the Commission de l’aménagement du territoire, Nathacha Tessier, Mayor of Saint-Germain-de-Grantham, Luc Trempe, Executive Director of the Comité paritaire de l’industrie automobile, Bruno Sauriol, Technical Project Manager, EV Skills Program—heavy vehicles, Marion Makhloufi, Team and Communications Manager—EV Skills Program, and André Lamontagne, Minister responsible for the Centre-du-Québec region.
