PROJECT FEATURE — LATIN AMERICA
A UNDP-supported initiative equips Panama’s national vocational training institute with hands-on diagnostics for electric and hybrid vehicles — reinforcing the country’s climate commitments under Ley 295/2022 and its Nationally Determined Contributions.
A National Institute Builds for an Electric Future
Panama’s National Institute for Professional and Human Development (INADEH) has opened a new Electric and Hybrid Vehicle training laboratory at its Centro de Formación de Tocumen, marking one of the most concrete steps yet taken in the country toward building a workforce ready to service a growing electric vehicle fleet. The facility was delivered through a UNDP-supported initiative and equipped by Labtech International, a global provider of technical and vocational training systems.
The lab is not a demonstration space. It is a working diagnostic classroom, built to put multiple trainees through structured, fault-based learning on real high-voltage systems under close instructor supervision.
Inside the Laboratory
At the center of the installation sits a fully instrumented BYD Yuan Plus (ATTO 3) training vehicle, sectioned to expose its cabin and running gear while remaining fully operational. The vehicle is integrated with a 30-fault diagnostic system, allowing instructors to introduce and reset specific fault conditions so trainees can practice systematic troubleshooting rather than memorized repair sequences.
The surrounding lab includes:
- A data acquisition (DAQ) platform and PC trolley for live vehicle data capture during diagnostic exercises
- Digital fault integration and a digital twin platform, allowing fault scenarios to be simulated and reviewed away from the vehicle itself
- An OBDII junction box and CAN/LIN network monitor for network-level diagnostics
- Dedicated high-voltage measurement equipment, VDE-insulated tooling, and HV personal protective equipment
- A networked classroom of student workstations, a teacher station, and a server running a perpetual TVET learning management system license with EV and broader automotive curriculum content
The design reflects a deliberate pedagogical choice: pairing physical, high-voltage hands-on practice with digital simulation, so trainees build both the procedural discipline and the systems-level understanding that EV diagnostics demands.
A Regional Signal
Panama’s approach offers an instructive reference point for other technical and vocational institutions across Latin America and the Caribbean, navigating the same question: how to move from a national climate or transport policy commitment to a workforce that can actually deliver on it. The combination of a UNDP-supported financing structure, a defined regulatory driver, and a phased regional rollout plan is a model that other institutions in the region are likely to study closely.
“Every electromobility policy eventually comes down to one question: who is going to
be qualified to service these vehicles safely? INADEH answered that question with real
equipment and a real curriculum, not just a commitment on paper. That is what makes
this installation worth paying attention to.”
Arnaud Delvaux, Technical Training Specialist at Labtech International
About Labtech Int.
Labtech International designs, manufactures, and delivers technical and vocational training systems for institutions worldwide, with expertise spanning HVAC-R and Montreal Protocol compliance training, electromobility, renewable energy, and biomedical engineering education. Labtech has supported national training institutions and ministries of education across Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia in building hands-on, industry-aligned technical curricula. Learn more at labtech.org and labtech-latam.com.
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Article Submitted by:
Arnaud DELVAUX
Labtech International
