Upskilling and reskilling the transport industry in South Africa

Abstract

The realities of climate change and its consequences have played a significant role in spurring on the development of technologies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions such as electric vehicles. Nations in the European Union and China have invested greatly into the development of electric vehicle technologies and have heavily subsidised programs aimed at converting existing diesel engine bus fleets with battery powered buses. The widespread adoption of electric vehicles requires that a large portion of the workforce are upskilled and retrained, with demand growing for electricians, skilled technicians, and mechanics. This essay aimed to highlight and address the need for employees of bus companies in South Africa to be upskilled and reskilled to operate and maintain electric busses by providing a framework for staff retraining. Structural issues have acted as a barrier to widespread electric vehicle adoption within South Africa and Africa broadly. Perennially inconsistent electricity supplies, coupled with a lack of prerequisite skills in the workforce, and half-hearted or non-existent government investment in electric vehicle infrastructure makes rapid adoption infeasible. Despite these issues, many stakeholders within the public transportation sector are showing greater interest in acquiring electric vehicles. To ensure a smooth transition from diesel engine to battery powered vehicle fleets, operators should gradually upskill and reskill new employees using external expert advisors. New employees who complete their training should then be contractually obligated to gradually provide training to pre-existing employees, thus developing skills internally within the organisation and decreasing the overall cost of training.