New national EV training centre to open in Mullingar
A new national centre to train people to repair and maintain electrical vehicles is to be established in Mullingar, it was confirmed by Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris at a launch envent in Bloomfield House Hotel this morning.
When opened, the new training centre, which will be hosted by Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board (LWETB), will train people to repair not only electric cars, but also electric bikes, scooters, trucks, buses, vans and heavy goods vehicles.
The first step of the project is the imminent establishment of a Project Management Office and the recruitment of staff. The team will be based temporarily in the head office of LWETB in Marlinstown.
When Mullingar was first proposed as the location for a national EV training centre last year, it was mooted that it could be located in Columb Barracks, however, Minister Harris said that the project team are also looking at a number of other locations around the town.
Speaking at the event, Minister Harris said that, while it was no reflection on LWETB, it was “somewhat mind boggling to me that a town this size up until this point has not had a greater level of provision when it comes to tertiary education”.
“...I would imagine as we go through 2024 we will start to see the delivery of training and that 2025 will be the year that we see things really scale up.”
Minister Harris said that “as the number of EVs on the road increases, a workforce with the knowledge to fix and properly maintain them will be needed”.
“It is clear to us we need a dedicated national centre to focus on the delivery of these key skills, while preparing for future technological advances.”
"This national centre will be based in the Midlands, in one of our growing towns and will be absolutely critical to delivery of the skills of the future.”
Chief executive Liz Lavery, said that the announcement that Mullingar will be the home of a national EV training centre is a considerable moment for LWETB and for the future of sustainable transport in Ireland.
“This is a very big day. It a very big day for this region. It is a very big day for the town of Mullingar, but most of all it is a very big day for us.
“...LWETB is delighted and proud to be expanding into this new area and we are proud to play a pivotal role in this endeavour by hosting the national EV centre.
Minister of State Peter Burke said that the decision to locate the training centrein Mullingar is “another vote of confidence in our town and region as we see our plans being further developed”.
“It is hard to capture the importance of electric vehicle management at present, we really are on the cusp of a huge change we are seeing beginning to play out before our eyes. In twenty years’ time, the car market will be completely changed, and the skills that will be needed in every garage and by every mechanic will be different. The government must support this industry to pivot, and the Mullingar Centre of Excellence will be where all of this support will be provided.
“...I want to thank my colleague Minister Simon Harris and his team for his work on this and for recognising the potential of Mullingar to host such an innovative new facility. He has the path well-worn to Mullingar at this stage, travelling down to meet with stakeholders and with me on numerous occasions so I’m glad to see that plans are now in full force.”
Cllr Aoife Davitt, chair of LWETB, praised Ms Lavery and her colleagues, for the “Trojan work” they do.
“It is astonishing the work that is currently being done. I know every time that I speak to Liz she has a plan in the mix. I want to thank the staff for the work they do. Some much goes on in the background all the time.”
See tomorrow's Westmeath Examiner for more coverage.