UK, West Bengal join hands to enhance skill development in arena of Electric Vehicles

NPTC Group of Colleges Wales, UK, specializes in training on Electric Mobility.

Peter Cook, British Deputy High Commissioner to East and Northeast India, said: "The UK Government is keen to deepen our engagement with West Bengal through the creation of an EV Skills Roadmap and a wider knowledge exchange with UK experts to help drive forward West Bengal’s EV Policy."

"Collaborations like these will help to create the highly skilled, dynamic transport workforce that Bengal will need in the future," he said.

James Llewellyn, Head of International Operations, NPTC Group of Colleges said: "NPTC Group is pleased to work with India to develop the skills and capacity for electric vehicle charging infrastructure."

He said: "Creating a greener future demands collaboration, and we look forward to working with India to achieve this objective."

James Llewellyn said NPTC Group aims to create skilled technicians in the EV space.

"We can train the local individuals and then upscale," he said.

He said the group is already working with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).

He said the group is aiming to work with Indian states including Haryana.

Wyn Prichard, Expert in Net Zero, NPTC Group of Colleges, said, "At NPTC, we think developing skills and capacity for electric car charging infrastructure is crucial for a sustainable future."

He said the group is eager to share knowledge and expertise in the field of EV and collaborate with India to create a more sustainable future.

West Bengal Power Department's Additional Chief Secretary S Suresh Kumar said it is crucial that technical support is available for the EV Charging Infrastructure as well as for maintenance of EVs.

He said: "The Centre of Excellence will introduce innovation and this will help in the dynamic development of infrastructure and manufacturing."

State Technical Education Secretary Anoop K Agrawal said West Bengal was the first state to launch E Vehicle courses for Diploma Engineers in 2021.

He said: "The move now is to skill manpower across levels of skills required for managing the transition to E vehicles."

"The Govt of West Bengal may also explore working with the Govt of UK on getting the knowledge and technology transfer for the creation of a Center of Excellence on E-vehicle and E-vehicle Skilling hub for East and North East India,” he said.

(Reporting by Supriyo Hazra)