TD Bank has contributed $150,000 to help Sudbury’s Cambrian College train heavy equipment mechanics in the mining industry how to work on electric vehicles.
The funds will support the college’s Battery Electric Vehicle Training Program and provide the equipment and training assets for workers in the industry to upgrade their skills.
Like the automotive industry, the mining sector has seen a recent transition to more electric vehicles, phasing out the diesel vehicles that have been used underground for decades.
Steve Gravel, the manager of Cambrian’s Centre for Smart Mining, said it was the industry that approached the college to provide the new training program.
“They’ve come to us and said, ‘Look, we’re seeing a skills gap developing,'” Gravel said.
The eight-day course will be available to heavy equipment mechanics who already work in the mining industry.
Gravel said a big part of the training is focused on safety.
“We spend a good amount of the course talking about how to interact with high voltage and when to call an electrician,” he said. “There is a greater fire risk with some battery technologies, and that’s something that the industry is coming to terms with.”
Cambrian has partnered with MacLean Engineering, a company that designs and builds underground mining equipment, to provide the training. The company has an underground test mine in Sudbury where students can train on their equipment.
“It’s really pivotal in the transition, because you can build and manufacture the equipment, but getting operator adoption and helping the mines transition over safely is a conversation that really wasn’t occurring at the same time as the technology development and the adoption,” said Stella Holloway, MacLean Engineering’s vice-president of northern Ontario operations, in a press release.
While the program is limited to professional development for now, Gravel said some of the content will make its way into Cambrian’s automotive and heavy duty mechanic programs.
Morning North5:41As electric vehicles gain popularity, mining industry wants to embrace the trend
A new program at Cambrian College is helping to train heavy diesel mechanics on how to work with electric vehicles. It recently received a $150,000 investment from TD to support its Electric Vehicle Lab and training program. Steve Gravel of Cambrian College explains. 5:41