Camosun College to roll out electric-vehicle maintenance training program

VICTORIA – A college on Vancouver Island will begin training certified automotive technicians in electric vehicle maintenance.

Camosun College’s Interurban Campus, together with Okanagan College in Kelowna and the College of New Caledonia in Prince George, will offer the new electric vehicle maintenance training program.

The province announced the expanded program on Monday, saying the demand for electric vehicle maintenance in BC will continue to grow.

“We’re supporting the growing popularity of electric vehicles by helping auto technicians develop the skills they need to work on electric vehicles in service centers across BC,” said Bruce Ralston, Secretary of State for Energy, Mining and Low Carbon Innovation, in a statement .

“The expansion of the EV maintenance training program will help expand our EV sector and make it even easier for British Columbians to switch to electric vehicles, setting us on the path to a cleaner, better future,” added Ralston.

The British Columbia Institute of Technology’s Burnaby campus first launched the program in 2019 to provide automotive technicians with the skills to work on electric vehicles.

The new program expansion is funded with $ 440,000 from the province’s CleanBC Go Electric program in collaboration with Trades Training BC.

“We’re laying the groundwork to make the move to electric vehicles easier and more convenient for people,” said Lana Popham of Saanich South MLA. “By funding this program at Camosun, we’re equipping students with marketable skills for a world where more and more electric vehicles will be on the move.”

The program is scheduled to start in Camosun in the fall.

“Camosun is excited to lead the way as the regional EV service training provider for Vancouver Island,” said Patrick Jones, director of the automotive technician program at Camosun.