An important milestone has been reached in the development of South Africa’s nationally recognised electro-mobility skills pathway, following the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations’ (QCTO’s) approval of the Electro Mobility Service Assistant Occupational Skills Programme.

The Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) says the National Qualifications Framework Level 2, 57-credit programme provides a foundational entry point for safe participation in an electro-mobility environment, including high-voltage awareness, safe working practices and the appropriate use of tools, diagnostic equipment and workshop machinery.

While the programme has been approved, approval of the Final Integrated Supervised Assessment standards by the QCTO Assessment Domain is still outstanding.

Publication on the QCTO website will follow once the required assessment standards and other outstanding components are in place.

The Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority this month also started the scoping and profiling process for two further electro-mobility occupational skills programmes, namely Mobility Hybrid Vehicle Technician and Electrically Propelled Vehicle/Battery Electric Vehicle Technician.

The skills-development work comes as South Africa’s passenger-vehicle sales mix begins to change, with sales of new-energy vehicles (NEVs) increasing rapidly.

“NEVs do not yet dominate the South African vehicle parc, and it would be wrong to suggest that they do,” says RMI national director Louis van Huyssteen.

“The important signal is the acceleration and changing mix of drivetrains entering the market.

“Petrol and diesel vehicles will remain with us for many years, with hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles increasingly joining them.”

As the average passenger vehicle age in South Africa approaches 11 years, it means that vehicles remain in use for long periods, and that they move through different ownership cycles, as well as servicing and repair environments, with all of these environments in need of skills training.

The RMI adds, however, that the skills requirements extend well beyond motor mechanics and high-voltage specialists.

Motor body repairers, auto electricians, tyre and fitment businesses, recovery operators, diagnostic and parts businesses may all increasingly encounter electrified vehicles.

Existing qualified artisans should also have the opportunity to build additional competence as technology changes and employers develop new capabilities.

The training need also extends to customer-facing employees such as vehicle salespeople, service advisers and parts sales staff, who need appropriate product awareness, terminology and safety understanding to communicate accurately with motorists.

“A customer’s experience of new technology does not begin only when a technician opens the bonnet,” says RMI CEO Ipeleng Mabusela.

“It also involves the salesperson explaining the vehicle, the service adviser discussing maintenance or repair, and the parts employee identifying the correct component.”

“Not everybody needs to become a high-voltage specialist, but everybody who encounters these vehicles needs the appropriate level of awareness, safety knowledge and competence for the work they perform,” notes Van Huyssteen.