In most developed countries, any qualified electrician is authorized to install EV charging points if they have the specific skills for the hardware, although an increasing number of manufacturers & businesses expect the professionals to have additional training certifications for EV charger installation.

Academy of EV Technology (AEVT):

Academy of EV Technology (AEVT) is an emerging institution with training locations in Howrah (Kolkata), Mumbai & Kotdwar (Uttarakhand). The academy’s mission is to meet the needs of the emerging EV industry in India, by training a new generation of skilled electricians, technicians & EV auto-mechanics.

They offer a certificate course for EV Charging Station installing. The course covers the following:

1. Charging Station site assessment.

2. Charging Station design & costing.

3. Safety protocols.

4. Installing the charger.

5. Government rules & protocols.

6. A practical module on roadside public charging stations.

7. A practical on charging point installation.

The total fee for this course is Rs.14999 (online class fees) + Rs.1999 (hands-on/practical fees). Post completion, the candidate will get a recognized certificate & free registration in a dedicated service desk. The academy is backed by a trust which is in the process to start a dedicated service desk that will provide startups with trained technicians, engineers & advisors.

The academy also provides customized corporate training covering a variety of courses tailor-made for the EV industry.

Current India Scenario:

In India, finding trained personnel for EV charger installation is a task in itself. The average electrician may not be able to do the job with his skill set. Most companies providing EV charging solutions like Tata Power, Kazam, etc provide site assessment & installation when you go for their products. The Kazam EV charging point setup process is shown below:

MG Motors India, in a way to provide charging solutions to MG ZS EV buyers, has tied up with eChargeBays, a Delhi-based startup. The aim is to assist MG customers in setting up charging points in their homes. They provide solutions including sending trained electricians for installation & demonstration of EV chargers and subsequent servicing if needed. This shows there is a lack of trained personnel for EV charger installation in India and also, the potential scope for professionals who want to enter this field.

There are a number of online platforms offering e-courses for understanding EV charging stations and how they are installed. But only a few offer hands-on training. The need for EV charging station installers can be fulfilled by either including a module on the topic in engineering courses or in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). Apart from this, uncertified & semi-skilled electricians should also be offered an opportunity to become a part of the EV revolution by means of a free or subsidized upskilling course, which helps them learn about EV charging stations' functionality.

As western countries began EV adoption much earlier than us, we have a lot to learn from them. Countries like India, which currently deploys a limited number of EVs, can take valuable lessons about manpower needs from countries like the US, Japan, etc.

The US Scenario:

In California, a charging station company had a hard time finding people to fix broken-down stations. They were contacting electrical contractors who took 7-14 days to send electricians on-site. Last year, a startup named ‘ChargerHelp’ launched an app that diagnoses problems with charging stations and sends technicians, which are trained by the company.

Such solutions have been coming up in the US ever since the numbers of EVs & charging stations started increasing.

Another example is the efforts of a union of electricians in the US which is making sure that the existing workforce is ready to take on EV-related work. An upskilling course ‘Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program’ (EVITP) has trained around 3000 electricians all across the US to install & maintain EV charging stations. The EVITP curriculum, developed via a partnership amongst unions, auto manufacturers, utility and educational institutions, provides electricians with instructions and hands-on training to install both residential & public charging stations.

The EVITP course content can be a guide for all Indian stakeholders involved in the EV ecosystem, if and when they wish to formally start a training program to prepare the future EV charger/charging station/charging point installers.

EVITP course overview:

A recommendation in the US Senate stated that funding for the setting up of EV charging infrastructure must mandatorily involve the clause that installation & maintenance work is done by certified workers who are qualified to deal with the hardware. The charging equipment should be installed by certified workers and government should play an active role in supporting required training & certification programs.

Conclusion:

The ‘markets of tomorrow’ have led to a growing need for reskilling & upskilling workers via training & courses. A forum committed to electrifying European transport ‘Platform for Electromobility’ predicts huge job increases in this field, especially in charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

If you are looking for a career in the EV industry, go through this blog: How to get a Job in the Electric Vehicle industry?