Apprenticeship students on St. John’s Central College, Motor Technology Pre-Apprenticeship course, are now some of the first in the country to have access to a brand-new Hybrid Electric Training Vehicle valued at almost €30,000.

Governed by Cork Education and Training Board, St. John’s Central College is located in the heart of the city and boasts an extensive range of full and part time programmes, in areas such as Applied Sciences, Art & Design, Information Technology, Pre-Apprenticeships and much more.  

The addition of this new Hybrid Electric Training Vehicle to the Motor Technology pre-apprenticeship programme, means that students on the course will be even more up to date with the latest in hybrid and electric vehicle motor technology, giving them a chance to be ahead of the game in this field and amongst their peers.  

Students will be educated on some of the unique systems and procedures in modern hybrid electric vehicles, as opposed to traditional design internal combustion engine vehicles. The Training Vehicle is equipped with simulated faults on the engine management system, to show how to diagnose and take electrical measurements.  

Principal Paula McCarthy welcomed this new addition, “We are thrilled to have such a fantastic resource available to our students. The ever-increasing number of hybrid electric vehicles on our roads, means that ultimately they require repair / bodywork etc. and our students will be well educated and have gained practical experience in dealing with the systems, thanks to our new training vehicle.”  

Speaking in relation to access St. John's Central College students have to this game-changing technology, Cork ETB Chief Executive Denis Leamy said, “Cork ETB is hugely proud of the fact that our students are the first in Munster to have access to this state-of-the-art piece of technology. We know that this will be instrumental in the education and development of our Apprentices in their Motor Technology Career. This investment reaffirms our commitment to providing staff, students and teachers with the best options possible for continued educational development.”