As the electronic and battery vehicles and machinery industry continues to evolve, so does the need for updated training across a number of sectors from light automotive, heavy commercial vehicles, mobile plant technology, civil construction, mining, transport and logistics.
To meet the training needs of industry and funded by the Queensland Government, TAFE Queensland has opened a purpose-built Heavy Plant Centre of Excellence that will provide up-to-date industry relevant electronic and battery-operated vehicles and machinery training.
The centre was built in response to an industry need for workers to be safely trained in these emerging technologies and to ensure industry is equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to reduce the risks associated with working on these vehicles and machinery.
TAFE Queensland Heavy Vehicle Industries business manager, Geoff Tillett said that as a future focused and trusted industry training partner, we are pioneering to deliver the training that industry needs to service and repair the hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles and machinery coming into Australia at an increasing volume.
“As a result of this increase comes the risk of having unskilled and unqualified people within this industry working on high voltage and high amperage battery electric vehicles,” Tillett said.
“The skills and knowledge learnt at our new Heavy Plant Centre of Excellence will be essential to complete work on electronic and battery-operated vehicles and machinery to the highest safety and service standards.
“TAFE Queensland aims to ensure industry is safe when it comes to working on new electronic and battery-operated vehicles and machinery and to ensure our employers and apprentices have both the current and contextualised training they require,” he said.
“TAFE Queensland has already been providing industry standard training across the hybrid electronic light vehicles sector for over 10 years and the new training facility will enable training to now extend further to support heavy commercial vehicles, mobile plant technology, civil construction, mining, transport and logistics sectors.”
“The centre will also offer specialised training on electronic propulsion and integrated hydraulic systems in mobile plant and road transport as well as the high-end diagnostic capabilities that are going be required well into the future,” he said.
As TAFE Queensland expands its capabilities to support the electronic and battery-operated vehicles and machinery sector, partnerships have already been formed with key industry organisations to ensure all training remains consistent and up to date as new technologies continue to evolve.
One of these partners, global aftermarket parts and automotive supplies provider, DANA Australia will work with TAFE Queensland to supply ongoing resources, training and support. The company has already made plans to provide two sets of Dana TM4 SUMO motors and CO150 inverters, which are used on the Sandvik Artisan A18 battery-electric loader.
Nick Stavrakis, Dana Australia’s managing director, says the company is pleased to have the opportunity to partner with TAFE Queensland to customise training to meet the unique needs of these important future career paths.
“Dana offers a full suite of electrified technologies for off-highway equipment and we understand that the technicians of the future will require training to ensure they can safely manage the maintenance activities for these vehicles,” he said.
A featured course delivered from the new facility is the Safely Depower and Reinitialise Hybrid Vehicle Skill Set (SSAUR001). The course is designed to provide updated electronic and battery electric vehicles skills relevant across the light automotive, heavy commercial vehicles, mobile plant technology, civil construction, mining and transport and logistics industries.
The skill set provides existing workers key skills including the main components of hybrid battery electrics vehicles, how to safely isolate high voltage (HV) rechargeable energy storage systems (RESS), and how to reinitialise energy storage systems and safely reinitialise a hybrid electric vehicle.
The next available course starts on November 15, 2021 and will be delivered at TAFE Queensland’s Acacia Ridge campus in Brisbane. For enquiries and enrolments, call TAFE Queensland on 1300 308 233 or visit tafeqld.edu.au.