How does a traditional car mechanic become a specialist in electric vehicles? There is no single official route yet. But when the AutoCredify project compared developments in Finland, Spain and Portugal, a clear pattern emerged: a step-by-step career ladder that looks remarkably similar in all three countries.
It is worth noting that these career paths were not formally defined in advance. They were drawn from country research, stakeholder input and the training developed by project partners. They show where the sector is heading rather than setting fixed rules.
Four stages of development
Across the three countries, professional development tends to follow four stages:
- Foundation competences: core maintenance skills plus basic awareness of electric and hybrid vehicle technology.
- EV readiness: the ability to work safely around electric and hybrid vehicles and understand how electrified systems behave.
- High-voltage operations: specialised skills in testing, maintaining and diagnosing high-voltage systems, including safe intervention procedures.
- Advanced EV specialisation: expert-level work on complex high-voltage systems, advanced diagnostics and specialised EV technologies.
Each country names these stages differently. Finland moves from Automotive Electromechanic to High-Voltage Specialist. Portugal moves from foundation level through “Instructed Person in Electricity” to High-Voltage Technician and Specialist, with each step bringing more responsibility and authorisation to work on high-voltage systems. Spain progresses from EV and hybrid safety and maintenance to advanced EV systems. The logic underneath is the same.
Two career routes
The research identifies two broad directions a technician’s career can take.
Route 1: Electrified vehicle maintenance
Automotive Maintenance Technician → EV Maintenance Professional → High-Voltage Technician → Advanced EV Specialist
This route matches the European Electric Vehicle Technician profile. It is the most visible today, because it responds directly to the urgent need for high-voltage, battery and EV skills.
Route 2: Intelligent vehicle diagnostics and mechatronics
Automotive Maintenance Technician → Electronic and Diagnostic Specialist → Automotive Mechatronics Specialist
This route matches the European Automotive Mechatronics Specialist profile. It centres on electronics, diagnostics, software and driver assistance systems. It is less developed in current training, but is expected to become more important as vehicles grow more complex.
The routes are starting to merge
Modern vehicles are electric, connected and software-driven all at once. As a result, the line between these two routes is likely to blur. The technicians of the future will increasingly need skills from both: high-voltage expertise and advanced digital diagnostics.
What this means
For policymakers and education providers:
- clear stages make it easier to design training that builds step by step
- the project’s pathways are strong on the electrification route, but the digital route needs more attention
- training should prepare for combined profiles, not just one specialism
For technicians and students:
- you don’t need to make one big leap; skills can be built in stages
- high-voltage safety is a core skill in both European profiles
- adding diagnostic and digital skills over time will make your profile more future-proof
In the next article, we look at how small, stackable training units and microcredentials can support this kind of step-by-step progression.
This article is based on AutoCredify deliverable D5.1, “Occupational and Learning Pathways for the Twin Transition”, co-funded by the European Union.