January 2024

The HotSW Local Skills Improvement Plan demonstrates the importance of travel in and out of the region, the significance of tourism to the counties and the determination to protect its renowned landscape.

With its ever growing focus and concern globally Clean propulsion will become a leading industry for our learners as they begin on their career journeys. With more and more local and regional responses to the promotion of clean propulsion and sustainable transportation, this industry will soon require a strong workforce to ensure it fulfils its ambition to protect our environment.

BTC is committed to skills development and the sector of clean propulsion has provided the opportunity to expand the way in which we deliver, an opportunity made possible through the HotSW Local Skills Improvement Fund.

In 22-23 BTC built a strong relationship with Zipp Mobility, Irelands leading micromobility provider. Zipp Mobility have deployed numerous fleets of public use electric scooters across the country, impacting our community in Taunton town centre.

Zipp Mobility join BTC in ensuring that our young people are prepared with the skills this industry of transportation requires as it continues to prove its impact.

BTC are busy designing and developing our own innovative testing facility through the HotSW LSIF to immerse learners into the world of electric motors, instrumentation and control, fault diagnosis and maintenance using Zipp Mobility components to learn these crucial transferable skills.

March 2024

The Heart of the Southwest LSIP quotes the Great South West’s ambition “to become the cleanest economy in England” and to support this BTC continues to explore emerging skills in clean propulsion

Alongside our curriculum development in electric micromobility and electric vehicle, BTC are exploring the opportunity to transform its Automotive Engineering curriculum with the integration of Hydrogen technology.

As an abundant energy carrier, hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, emitting only water vapor as a by-product.

By Powering vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells, we can reduce carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels to sustain the prospering environment of the region.

BTC are developing curriculum to prepare students with knowledge and skills in hydrogen fuel cell technology, safety protocols, and the integration it forms with electric vehicles.

October 2024

Our Electric motor testing rig is nearly complete and ready for its finishing touches before its deployed into our full time automotive and engineering curriculum.

This innovative, one-of-a-kind testing rig uses components from public fleet electric scooters to provide opportunities for fault-finding, real-time monitoring and live simulations.

The interventions delivered through using this rig will provide learners with the core practical understanding of electrical principles that are required before moving into the diagnostic world of electric vehicles, electric motors and regenerative energy through practical skills development.

As technology in this sector progresses quickly, the testing rig is a solid platform to utilise new monitoring equipment, introduce control and sensor technology and integrate charging processes into BTCs curriculum