_{Russel Sookoo, Campus Manager at NESC Technical Institute in Trinidad & Tobago}

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Tues. June 17, 2025

Training to provide skills in the operation and repair of electric vehicles is taking place at the Institute for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ITVET) in Belize City.

Electric vehicles have been a game-changer since their introduction to mankind at the beginning of the 21st century as an alternative to fuel-powered vehicles. They are described as quieter, easier to operate, and more affordable to use on a regular basis.

In Belize, electric vehicles are very rarely spotted throughout the old capital, with the most notable of such vehicles being the e-buses introduced in 2024 by the Belize City Council and the e-taxis launched by the council this year.

A problem has arisen, however, in the upkeep of these vehicles, as local mechanics are not skilled in the repair of this new type of technology.

The training sessions being conducted at ITVET, with the assistance of education facilitators from throughout the Caribbean, are aimed at addressing this challenge and focus on building foundational knowledge of internal combustion engines before advancing to hybrid and electric vehicle systems.

“We want to get them involved with the technology, and understand how to have this equipment and vehicles repaired as the case may be,” said Russel Sookoo, Campus Manager at NESC Technical Institute in Trinidad & Tobago.

“They must have a formal introduction to automotive internal combustion engines, because you will be using the electrical aspect to get the vehicle mobile; so, you must understand the ICE, an internal combustion engine, and the regular vehicle before going into that. So, we will do a little introduction to ICE,” he added.

“We need to have technicians capable of dealing with these electric vehicles, as when they are new, it will not give trouble; but when they start giving trouble, that is when we need these technicians, and so we have to start now,” said Reuel Black, Manager at ITVET Belize District

The training began on Monday, June 16, with over 30 participants being educated on hybrid electric and battery electric vehicle service and repair.