TD Bank is contributing $150,000 to the battery electric vehicle (BEV) training program at Cambrian College in Sudbury.
The funds, which were announced on Oct. 5, will support the infrastructure and equipment in the lab that’s used by students in the program.
Examples include battery electric vehicles that are being refurbished in the on-campus lab, as well as customized electrical panels, which are used to train students to troubleshoot problems with a BEV system.
The grant comes from TD Ready Commitment, through which the bank aims to invest $1 billion by 2030 in the areas of financial security, environmental sustainability, arts and culture, and health.
“At TD Bank, we know that education can open doors and contribute to the long-term wellbeing of individuals, families and communities," said John Doris, the district vice-president of commercial banking at TD Bank, in a news release.
“Through the TD Ready Commitment, we are helping prepare for the generation of tomorrow by investing in initiatives that will help build employable skills and support entrepreneurs.
“Partnering with Cambrian College and investing in this new corporate and development training program is one of the ways we're helping to make this happen and we are so proud to support in creating a brighter future."
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Announced last fall, Cambrian’s BEV training program is designed to retrain heavy duty equipment mechanics in the maintenance of BEVs used in underground mining.
As more mining companies introduce BEV machines to their operations, a need arose to ensure there were enough mechanics familiar with, and properly trained in, their maintenance.
Topics covered in the course include fundamentals of battery electric vehicle safety, introduction to battery electric mobile equipment, introduction to battery electric vehicle communication and troubleshooting, and practical battery electric vehicle training.
For the practical component of the course, Cambrian has partnered with MacLean Engineering, which helped develop the curriculum and is offering students hands-on experiential learning opportunities at its underground test centre in Lively.
