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CLIVE SIACHIYAKO
ZAMBIA and Malawi have taken a decisive step toward positioning their workforce for the future of transport, with the launch of a capacity-building programme aimed at equipping lecturers with skills in electric vehicle (EV) and electric motorbike (e-mobility) training. The initiative, being implemented under the EcoCharge Project, marks a significant milestone in the two countries’ efforts to align technical and vocational education with global trends in sustainable mobility and green technology. Capacity building for trainers was held in the fourth quarter of 2025. It targeted trainers who will spearhead the introduction of electric mobility programmes in their respective institutions.
The programme focuses on strengthening both electrical and mechanical competences to ensure that training institutions are prepared to respond to the growing uptake of e-mobility technologies. The capacity-building programme seeks to improve lecturers’ understanding of advanced electrical systems and mechanical integration in electric vehicles and motorbikes. As the adoption of electric mobility technologies gradually increases in the region, the demand for skilled technicians will grow accordingly. Investing in trainer up-skilling in Zambia and Malawi is a proactive approach to addressing skills gaps that could slow down the transition to cleaner transport systems.
The EcoCharge project aligns with broader national and regional priorities, including youth employment, industrial development and environmental sustainability. Electric mobility is increasingly seen as a viable solution to reduce carbon emissions, lower fuel dependency and modernise transport systems. In our aspirations to optimise partnerships, we applied for f inancing as consortium to the European Union and Erasmus+ Programme in electric mobility (e-mobility). E-mobility refers to the use of electric-powered vehicles and transportation solutions as alternatives to traditional fossil fuel-powered mobility. It is part of the global shift toward cleaner, more sustainable transport systems, aiming to reduce carbon emissions, air pollution and reliance on fossil fuels. Consortium members in the f inancing application are from Zambia, Malawi, Italy, Finland and Spain. There are seven partners in the consortium: TEVETA Zambia, Centro San Viator, Don Bosco Technical College in Malawi, and 3DBear from Finland, Don Bosco Chingola in Zambia, TEVETA Malawi and Formazione from Italy.
This partnership offers Zambia have the right competences and capacity to effectively deliver and Malawi an opportunity to tap into advancements Europe has made in the e-mobility sub sector. The e-mobility financing is under the EcoCharge project, which focuses on both electric vehicles and motorbikes. The EcoCharge project is co f inanced by the European Union and Erasmus+ Programme. The project kick-off and planning took place in Malawi this month. The project aligns with Zambia and project partners’ green transition and electric motor vehicle sub-sector development. Green technology and decarbonisation goals of the project will accelerate greening TEVET to realise green jobs in various sectors. Countries like Zambia that have been hit hard by drought that caused both power and food crises will benefit in the development of relevant green skills to develop our resilience to such shocks. The project will support the development of curriculum in e-mobility. The capacity building is aimed at equipping trainers with modern skills in e-mobility in Zambia and Malawi. The e-learning materials and other resources that will be developed under the project will be used in the five countries that are part of the EcoCharge project. The project will result into the development of eco-friendly skills. It brings expertise from different countries to enrich e-mobility curriculum implementation and e-mobility skills development. Malawi and Zambia, which share many similarities, will optimise the partnership with the European partners to improve skills development, especially competency-based training and assessments (CBTA) in e-mobility. The knowledge and experiences from the project will enrich the TEVET systems in the neighbouring countries whose e-mobility sector is in its infancy. The rationale for the EcoCharge project is to develop e-mobility skills in line with the global green transition and decarbonisation agenda. The project activities will include curriculum development in e-mobility. The curriculum will be on training in e-mobility. The project is in line with the capacity-building thematic areas within different Erasmus+ electric vehicles and electric motorbikes to be run in the partner countries as a shared resource. Secondly, the project will develop an e-learning system for e-mobility. The system will provide simulations, trainers’ manuals and other audio-visual aids for training delivery of the projects that aim to enhance the employability of the youth and adapt the skills needed in the education system to match e-mobility curriculum. It will also pilot the e-mobility curriculum in partner countries with support from the private sector in e-mobility. Lastly, the capacity building under the project is aimed at ensuring trainers in e-mobility the skills needed in the labour market such as electric mobility sector of small vehicles. The project seeks to improve public-private sector relationships in helping the youth and women with jobs, especially through entrepreneurship and to close the existing gender gap. It also seeks to improve the employability of citizens in the partnering countries, especially of women, in the e-mobility sector, more specifically in small hybrid vehicles such as bicycles. It further promotes public private partnerships in this field to expand the electric mobility sector in Malawi and Zambia, sharing best practices with European vocational education and training (VET) centres. The EcoCharge project also promotes sustainable e-mobility by electrifying and maintaining small electric vehicles and motorbikes through the recycling of automotive spare parts, thus contributing to a green transition and environmental improvement. The EcoCharge project is an initiative aimed at enhancing vocational education and training (VET) in electric mobility in Malawi and Zambia. It builds fostering collaboration between African and European institutions; it seeks to integrate sustainable transport solutions into technical and vocational education. The project is running from 2025 to 2027 to deliver renewable energy to increase the skilled workforce that is required for the transition towards green energy and energy efficiency. The availability of the skilled workforce will also further increase the adoption of clean energy in industry, as well as at household level in the two countries. We are utilising partnerships to tap into expertise from other countries that have advanced TEVET systems to improve the employability of the national workforce In many African countries, electric motorbikes are gaining attention due to their affordability and suitability for urban mobility. However, without local expertise to assemble, maintain and service these technologies, the benefits of adoption may remain limited. Through this initiative, Zambia and Malawi are laying the groundwork for a sustainable mobility ecosystem supported by a skilled local workforce
