The adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) has the potential to drastically reduce emissions, drive technological innovation, and create new industries and jobs. The promise this sector holds will only be fully realised if youth (defined as people aged 15–35 years), especially those from historically excluded and disadvantaged communities, are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities to participate meaningfully in the emerging green economy.
It is within this context that the EV Learnership Programme emerges as a practical expression of South Africa’s Just Energy Transition and as a compelling beacon of hope. Co-led by ZIMI, a South African EV solutions provider, and the SI, a renowned centre for transformative learning, the programme up-skills youth with the knowledge and hands-on experience needed for the electric mobility sector. The learnership not only builds individual capabilities and livelihoods but also strengthens the broader green economy. It exemplifies how green innovation and social inclusion can intersect with economic empowerment, creating a just, resilient, and future-ready South Africa.
The EV Learnership combines innovation, skills development, and opportunity creation, ensuring that South Africa’s journey to net-zero is also a journey toward shared prosperity. The focus on young people is essential because South Africa’s transformation cannot be separated from its broader socio-economic realities. The transition to electric mobility represents not only an environmental necessity but also a strategic response to the nation’s deep economic challenges. With youth unemployment alarmingly high at 62.4% in the first quarter of 2025, the EV sector presents a critical opportunity. By leveraging this growing industry, the EV learnership will simultaneously address unemployment, advance environmental sustainability, and lay the foundations for a more inclusive and resilient economy.
Launched in 2025, the EV Learnership is an eight-month blended learning programme designed for unemployed South African youth who have completed matric (grade 12) and come from vulnerable communities in the Western Cape. Particular preference was given to youth from the communities surrounding Stellenbosch, where both the SI and ZIMI are based. In recognition of the persistent inequalities in access to opportunity, the programme prioritised Black and Coloured youth, who are often excluded from participation in emerging industries. An inaugural cohort of 6 learners were all drawn from communities surrounding Stellenbosch.
This first learnership has laid the foundation for a programme that will continue to grow and help shape the future of the EV job sector. We are proud to share where the first graduates find themselves today:
- Four learners (66.7%) successfully secured in-job training placements with stipends higher than those offered during the initial training phase.
- One learner transitioned directly into full-time permanent employment with a partner company, reflecting the programme’s success in bridging training to long-term work opportunities.
- One graduate chose to establish a transport business, with future plans to integrate electric vehicles into their operations, demonstrating entrepreneurial initiative and future alignment with green mobility solutions.
- Another learner enrolled in a three-year trade programme in boiler making, underscoring the renewed confidence and aspiration to pursue sustainable career pathways.
View the full case study here. Here is a video providing an overview of the first learnership: