THE Jamaica Public Service (JPS) Foundation has partnered with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on an ‘eDrive’ initiative aimed at equipping people with in-demand skills to support the growth of electric vehicle usage in Jamaica.

Under the train-the-trainer programme, 15 trainers in the field of mechanics and emergency response will receive training in electric/hybrid vehicle hazard management and electric/hybrid vehicle system repair and replacement.

They will, in turn, impart the skills acquired to others across the island.

Customer service area manager for JPS West, Janice Carr, said that the training will be done in two cohorts and include participants from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Caribbean Military Academy and the HEART/NSTA Trust.

“[They] will be engaged in a five-day intensive training programme, after which they will be tasked with training over 400 persons across the island in vehicle maintenance and emergency response,” Carr said.

“So, this is something big for us in terms of getting more people upskilled in the e-drive and electric mobility (e-mobility) sector,” she said.

Carr was addressing the monthly meeting of the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation in Black River last Thursday.

The training, which will be conducted by senior instructor at United Kingdom-based company EINTAC, Andrew Latham, is in preparation for opportunities coming out of the Electric Vehicle Mobility Policy, which paves the way for people to import vehicles into the island.

The Government is transforming the public transportation sector by using more renewable energy and electric vehicles and launched an Electric Vehicle Trial Programme on July 8.

Meanwhile, Carr said the JPS has repaired more than 20 street lights in St Elizabeth for the month of June. She noted that 17 of these are in Black River, one in the Brompton and two in Siloah.

She said that the entity has intensified street light repairs in the parish for the month of July, noting that teams have already done work in Braes River, Black River and Lacovia.

“For the week of July 24, they will be in Myersville and Junction. They will again return to Junction and visit Southfield, Mountainside and Pedro Plains. So, we will be covering a wider area in July as regards to street light repairs,” Carr said.