Basseterre, St. Kitts (SKNIS): The first cohort in the solar panel training programme at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) is moving on to the commencement of the electrical vehicle mechanic training in a significant advancement in the nation’s green energy and training sectors.
During a recent press engagement, Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew commended the progress of the training under the newly established Caribbean Centre of Excellence in Research, Innovation and Workforce Training (CRIWT) project, launched on April 09, 2024. He noted that the vehicles are expected to arrive within a couple of weeks, and subsequently, mechanics will be trained at the CFBC on how to maintain electric vehicles.
The prime minister emphasised the Federation’s commitment to sustainable development.
“Electric vehicles, that is what the world is switching to, and St. Kitts and Nevis is to be ahead. All these plans and programmes work in unison. So that at the same time they are transitioning, we are preparing our people, technically, to take the necessary jobs. In a sense, it is all part of the whole but the whole must function well. It is not that one sector is isolated from the other,” said Dr. Drew.
Dr. Drew underscored that by reducing the cost of energy, the benefits extend to everyone – individuals, industries, job markets, and social programmes – significantly improving the overall quality of life in St. Kitts and Nevis.
“It is all to develop a sustainable island which brings everything together so that we have the best opportunity of proper living here in St. Kitts and Nevis,” he said.
This initiative builds on the foundation laid by the CRIWT Project a collaborative effort between the CFBC and Green Solution International SKN Incorporated (GSI), funded through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme. It aims to establish St. Kitts and Nevis as a leading hub for sustainable research, green energy innovation, and 21st-century workforce development, with a focus on Solar PV installation and electric vehicle maintenance and repairs.