Green Tech Africa, a pioneer in the electronic vehicle (EV) supply space embarks in producing professionals on new type of vehicles in Ethiopia to elevate the gap seen in the market.
The company that introduced the supply of EV about a year ago with six different models has provided training to 25 young technicians in collaboration with a vocational college of the SOS Children’s Village NGO.
According to the green firm, the major objective of the training was to provide an inclusive training for young auto technicians to fill the gap that is seen in the sector.
Kidem Tesfaye, CEO of Green Tech Africa, said that the EV technology is not only for Ethiopia but it is new for the world. Due to that, there is a gap in skilled labour which is required in supporting and maintaining the cars after sales.
As a result the company paired up with the SOS Children’s Village to produce mechanics specialized on EV.
As Kidem explains, the initiative has triangular goals in mind, including; producing skilled labour on the sector, creating jobs and expanding entrepreneurship for young Ethiopians.
“By profession, the newly trained individuals graduated from different universities in motor and related engineering fields but currently in the country majority of the training is theoretical as opposed to hands on due in availability of the machines,” he elaborated adding, “We provided a high end job training for three months at the facility in SOS vocational college.”
He said that Green Tech Africa is in the final stage to commence a car assembly locally due to that some of the current certified students and upcoming trainers shall be absorbed in the assembly line and after sales service at the company or invest by themselves to support the demand in the market.
According to the plan, the company and the NGO that has a good reputation in Ethiopia will produce more than 300 professionals in the sector every year.
“Currently we have about 30 students in the second batch that will graduate within two months,” Kidem pointed out.
“The training focused in detail on maintenance of electronic device, battery cell, mechanical devise and components that will create confidence and trust for consumers,” he added.
As an entrepreneurship scheme, the company has designed EV clinics that will be open in different corners of the city and country, “Interested professionals, shall have the liberty to support customers at the EV clinic platforms.”
According to Fitsum Deressa, General Manager of GreenTech Ethiopia, which is the Ethiopian wing of Green Tech of Africa, said that the vehicles supplied to the market have a big market acceptance, while there is a gap in terms of technicians due to that the company decided to train capable professionals for free to fill the gap.
He said that at the current stage his company is strong on providing after sales service with skilled labour, while the market on EV is swiftly growing that needs ample professionals, ”Thus we are working to provide experts on the sector that are trained by qualified professionals, which come from local and international partners.”
He said that currently besides his company, different suppliers are hugely importing EVs, “So the trained professionals shall support the sector in general not only the cars that are imported via Green Tech.”
Hailu Abebe, Professor at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, who is regarded as one of the pioneer on providing training on EV and lead instructor on the initiative embarked by Green Tech Africa and SOS, said that even though there is minor training on EV in some higher education in Ethiopia, it is limited on theoretical areas.
“The current technicians are mainly trained on traditional fuel vehicles but EVs have new technologies to which there is a gap on our technicians’ side. Thus, they have to have additional training to fill their limitations,” Hailu said.
Regarding the new scheme he said that about 80 percent of the new training initiative is focused on practical programs that shall be differ from the program designed in higher educations and shall give in detail knowledge to create confidence in professionals and customers.
Fitsum said that Green Tech Ethiopia is on the final stage to commence the assembly of EV and solar energy products.
He said that disassembled EVs that will be assembled locally have arrived in Djibouti port. So far in the past less than a year the company has supplied about 500 EVs and the feedback from consumers has been resoundingly positive.
As Kidem informs Capital, the assembly plant that was erected at Sendafa, 40km north east of Addis Ababa is set to commence operation in three months time.