The transition to sustainable, climate resilient transport in the Caribbean demands a localized, certified technical workforce. To bridge the gap between academic theory and hands-on vocational readiness, the NDC-TEC project – funded by the German Federal Ministry for The Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and implemented by the GIZ, has been supporting Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) across CARICOM States. The initiative has already delivered specialized electric vehicle diagnostic tools, safety and protective equipment and EV simulation equipment to TVET institutions in Grenada, Jamaica and Saint Lucia.
During a handing over ceremony at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) in early May 2026, the Principal, Dr Madgerie Jameson-Charles emphasized the school’s plans to position TVET programmes as “engines of national development.” She acknowledged that the contribution from the NDC-TEC Project “strengthens [their] capacity to deliver hands-on, industry-aligned training in electric mobility.”
At the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus (UWI, Mona), NDC-TEC collaborated with the JPS (utility) Foundation to outfit and commission the Caribbean’s first EV mobility laboratory, inclusive of a drivable training vehicle. This facility serves as a practical blueprint for regional training, giving the next generation of technicians the type of hands-on expertise needed to drive the Caribbean’s e-mobility transition.
To ensure that interventions meet local demands, UWI’s curriculum and the NDC-TEC equipment allocations were guided by a needs assessment. The findings revealed across the board that relevant training institutions lacked the basic tools, hardware, safety equipment, and software necessary to develop the quality of local competency needed in electric mobility.
The results also indicated that while regional interest in e-mobility was surging, training safely required more than classroom theory – it demanded specialized protective gear and advanced automotive toolkits for tactile, hands-on experience. Without modernizing these practical learning environments, the Caribbean risked a bottleneck where EV adoption could outpace the local capacity to service the transition.
According to Ina de Visser, Head of the NDC-TEC Programme, “Safety and protection of the students learning about electric vehicles are essential. We don’t only want to have mechanics available who can maintain and repair electric vehicles, but we want them to do so without any risk to themselves or others. We think that this donation of equipment can play a role in that. With the protection and diagnostic tools, you … learn your craft in a secure, professional environment.”
These training tools allow educators to address skills gaps. As Ina de Visser notes, local technical capacities are “an essential part of any transition; whether we introduce solar energy or electric vehicles”. “Ensuring new technologies can be maintained and repaired locally”, she emphasizes, “is an enormous benefit to both the consumers and the suppliers of such technologies”.
By pairing physical tools with the development of Regional Occupational Standards (CVQ Levels 3 and 4) UWI, in tandem with the Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies (CANTA), and the NDC-TEC project is also anchoring these advancements into long-term competence. The supply of this equipment ensures that local colleges can offer self-sustaining, long-term certification programmes. This creates an inclusive pathway for the next generation of auto technicians and educators to acquire future-proof skills in CARICOM.