Attendees came from across the country to see the UNOH facilities and learn from industry experts leading dozens of workshops with topics ranging from electronics to diesel engines to alternative fuels. The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC) taught an electric drive vehicle course to three different classes and brought our cutaway Prius to help illustrate concepts discussed in the classroom. The course was a condensed version of NAFTC’s four- or five-day curriculum devoted to electric drive and hybrid vehicles.

“Every year, the UNOH seminar is a highlight on our calendar,” says Micheal Smyth, NAFTC interim director. “In addition to the top-notch training that goes on every July, the UNOH faculty and staff hospitality can’t be beat. The institution is one of the top automotive schools in the country and I encourage instructors to attend next year’s event.”

UNOH has been a part of the NAFTC’s national consortium since its founding in 1992. Learn more about NAFTC members by visiting www.naftc.wvu.edu/training-centers.

By Professor John Frala, Rio Hondo College

Many of us involved automotive education maintain that students who have credentials related to alternative fuel vehicles will have additional advantages in the job market. As this market continues to expand, these credentials will become essential.

If my students did not believe that before, they sure do now. At Rio Hondo College, the Alternative Fuels Program trains students with real-life skills. In addition to mechanical and technical topics, students learn how to interview for jobs and how to market themselves on social media sites such as LinkedIn. These skills have paid off for a few new graduates from connections made at the AAPEX Mobility Garage. 

Horizon Education and I were part of the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium’s Mobility Garage at the AAPEX Show in Las Vegas, from October 30 through November 1, 2018. We shared a booth displaying hydrogen vehicles and showcasing two associate of science degrees and the new certificate of achievement TESLA technician program. The booth also featured 3D models that attendees could build with an AA battery-sized fuel cell.

Ian Shaneyfelt, a high school student from Baton Rouge, works on a hydrogen-powered model car at the Rio Hondo College booth at AAPEX. Photo credit: John Frala.

Working the booth, I met a representative from Agility Fuels, and through our discussions, learned of job openings there. I sent information to my students and three of them arranged for a tour and possible interviews.

I went to the AAPEX Show as a way to highlight the Alternative Fuels Program at Rio Hondo College, and to provide a glimpse into the future of vehicle fuels. It was very gratifying while at the show to be part of placing students in careers in California 300 miles away.

Learn more about the Rio Hondo College Automotive Program by visiting: 

https://faculty.riohondo.edu/jfrala/

http://www.riohondo.edu/altfuels/

https://www.riohondo.edu/autotechbachelor/

UK Identifies Need for EV Trained Technicians

A 2018 study published by the Institute of the Motor Industry (United Kingdom) found that as many as 97 percent of currently employed mechanics aren’t qualified to work on electric vehicles. Compounding the problem is that the remaining three percent are typically employed by dealerships, significantly reducing customer service options. And the problem isn’t just in the U.K., a similar situation can found in the more than 160,000 independent auto repair facilities in the U.S.  

Source: Clean Technica

Why Yes, as a Matter of Fact I Do!

And, no, it isn’t a bridge in Brooklyn, nor do I need your social security number or mother’s maiden name. I’m talking about a new offer we have for any NAFTC member school that wants to bring alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) training to their location, to educate their school’s instructors about how to teach specific AFV topics, to service their community by offering classes to in-service automotive technicians, and to bring some income into their school’s automotive program.

With the demands our member school automotive instructors have during their standard academic calendar, adding training sessions open to the public can be difficult to accomplish. Addressing this issue, the NAFTC recently launched a program that takes much of the worry out of these efforts through the development of a training partnership between your school and the NAFTC, with the NAFTC doing most of the heavy lifting.

Here are more details, using a hypothetical example to illustrate:

Your school is interested in learning more about propane vehicles, and you want to get your automotive instructors through an NAFTC “train-the-trainer” instructor class. You also believe there would be local automotive dealers/technicians/mechanics who would be interested in this topic.

For this scenario, let’s say the overhead cost of bringing NAFTC staff, training equipment, travel, manuals, and, of course, our AFV training expert to your school for this propane technician class comes to $3,000.

Now the NAFTC is offering a plan which would save your school the cost of the training by opening the class to the public and charging the additional students to attend. If two technicians sign up for the training at $1,500 each (or three for $1,000 each), the cost of holding this class has been met.

Here’s where the three-way partnership comes into play. For each additional seat sold, the profit from the sale will be split equally between your institution, the NAFTC, and our national trainer. Our national trainer, now an independent contractor, would use his connections to recruit attendees, the NAFTC would market the class nationally, and we would also encourage our friends in the Clean Cities Coalition to advertise it regionally. Your school, with your industry connections, would advertise it directly to the area you serve.

For the 3-day propane training cited, we typically like the class to have a maximum of 20 attendees. The remaining open 17 slots in this scenario would bring in, at $1,500 per enrollee, $27,000 in profit. Divided three ways, this brings in more than $9,000 for each partner (your school, the NAFTC, and the trainer).

Again, these are hypothetical numbers. The farther you live from the NAFTC headquarters in Morgantown, West Virginia, the more the travel costs will be. If you’re near a major airport, the flight for our trainer will be cheaper. Each situation is slightly different but the concept is the same: cover the costs and split the profits beyond that break-even point. If a few weeks before the date of the training we as a team decide we do not have enough participation to hold the class, we can cancel or postpone until we do have enough interest to cover the cost.

The additional revenue—a valuable commodity in these tight fiscal times—is an obvious benefit from this arrangement. We hope that schools might see this as an opportunity to cover the cost of their NAFTC membership and travel to our Expos through the hosting of only one class, but this would be up to you. Consider also that promoting this event could bring attention to your program. You could even use the event to recruit interested students.

The true benefit will be for your school—at no cost—to get your instructors trained to teach a new AFV topic. You can place as many instructors into the class as you wish, as we don’t plan on counting the host school’s attendees toward the classroom count. In fact, we hope they’ll be up front co-teaching with Mark Schmidt, our national trainer!

We are very excited about this idea and believe it’s a terrific way to bring timely AFV education to your community with minimal risk to all parties involved. I would be delighted to discuss the specific training that might be good in your area. Contact me at (304) 293-7882 or e-mail Micheal.Smyth@mail.wvu.edu.

Yours in partnerships!

Mike

The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC) hosted NAFTC Expo I from May 14 to 16 at Seminole State College, underwritten with support from the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC).

Similar NAFTC events were previously called Professional Development meetings. When he took over as Acting Director of the NAFTC last year, Micheal Smyth made a commitment to update the content and name of these meetings and host a minimum of two each year.

“We really believe that getting our consortium members together like this is one of the most important aspects of what we do,” Smyth commented. “Everyone collaborates on training problems, and learns how other instructors and technicians see things.”

The event featured updated propane training and activities with the ATech Bi-fuel Engine Performance Trainer and the ICOM North America propane system installed in the Hybrid Electric Vehicle Training Educator (HEVTE).

Mark Schmidt, NAFTC national trainer, welcomes attendees to NAFTC Expo I. Credit: NAFTC.

PERC and the NAFTC collaborated to create a training curricula, Propane Autogas Vehicle Technician Training, and to host no-cost educational sessions across the country for interested automotive technicians, fleet managers, school bus maintenance personnel, and other parties interested in propane autogas technologies.

Stuart Flatow, vice president of safety and training at PERC explained, “The propane course was developed with input from the propane industry, original equipment manufacturers, and automotive instructors associated with technical learning institutions. It was great to get everyone together to see how it has developed.”

Recently ATech Training, in collaboration with the NAFTC, ICOM North America, and PERC, designed, constructed, and donated to the NAFTC a bi-fuel engine performance educator to support this training course. The training unit, a fully functioning, stand-mounted gasoline and propane bi-fuel engine, allows students to see the workings of a bi-fuel vehicle running on propane autogas and gasoline, from fuel tank to injectors, and to diagnose faults placed in the system by the class instructor through both electronic and mechanical means.

NAFTC training aids, like the ATech training unit and HEVTE, are available to consortium members to use upon request for events or training sessions.

Mark Schmidt, NAFTC national trainer, introduces fault codes into the ATech Bi-fuel Engine Performance Trainer. Credit: NAFTC.

Expo attendees also heard about propane industry news and system advancements from PERC, ATech Automotive, Blossman Gas, ICOM North America, Roush CleanTech, and Superior Energy Systems. The NAFTC has opened up their Expos to presentations from industry and private sector entities that can bring information to NAFTC member schools that will assist them in keeping their alternative fuel vehicle program successful.

Vice President of Business Development for Blossman Gas Mark Denton shares information about propane products with Expo I attendees. Credit: NAFTC.

The three-day meeting gave members a chance to get to know each other and the NAFTC staff.

On the final day of the event, attendees traveled to Kennedy Space Center to tour the facilities and view displays.

Patrick English, professor of automotive technology from Ferris State University commented, “I’ve gained a lot of information and education from this event, but I’ve also gained a lot of contacts that are going to help me get this information out to the people who need it.”

Paul Soar, professor of automotive technology at Florida State College at Jacksonville and Mark Schmidt, NAFTC national trainer, stand in front of the Atlantis Display at Kennedy Space Center. Credit: NAFTC.

A portion of the NAFTC Expo I attendees gather outside the CFADA Professional Automotive Training Center at Seminole State College. Credit: NAFTC.

A short video of the NAFTC Expo I at Seminole State College in Sanford, Florida can be viewed below.

NAFTC Expo II will be held October 28–29 in Las Vegas, Nevada in conjunction with the NAFTC’s AFV partnership with AAPEX. Participating attendees will receive free entry to the SEMA/AAPEX show October 30 through November 1, 2018.

To learn more about joining the NAFTC and attending NAFTC Expo II, call the NAFTC at 304-293-7882 or email Micheal Smyth, Acting Director of the NAFTC at micheal.smyth@mail.wvu.edu.

Located in Joshua Tree, CA, the college offers an associate in science degree in automotive technology. To supplement the associate degree, CMC students can earn several certificates of proficiency including one in alternative fuel vehicles.

Copper Mountain College offers an associate’s degree in automotive technology, with a certificate of proficiency in alternative fuel vehicles. The program’s shop facility, shown here, allows for hands-on learning. Credit: Copper Mountain College

The CMC Automotive Technology Program curriculum is designed to meet the requirements and standards set forth by the National Technician Education Foundation and to provide the automotive student with a solid foundation in the fundamentals of state-of-the-art automotive systems theory and repair practices. This approach is intended to provide the student with the minimum training necessary to gain an entry-level position within the automotive service or repair industry.

“It is a privilege to be a member of the only national training organization devoted to the promotion and support of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles,” said Dean of Instruction Zachary Ginder. “Copper Mountain College is dedicated to making a positive impact in our students’ lives by providing the most up-to-date training that will ultimately lead to employment within the industry. Being a member of the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium will support this effort.”

Learn more about CMC by visiting

Academic Catalog

BRCC’s Automotive Technology Program, part of the Transportation Technology Division, is housed in an 84,000-sqaure-foot, state-of-the-art facility for teaching automotive and diesel heavy truck technology. The program features an innovative three-day school week and paid internships for its students at local auto service departments.

Baton Rouge Community College’s Transportation Technology Division, shown here, is home to the Automotive Technology Program. Credit: Baton Rouge Community College

“The Automotive Technology Program is a recent addition to Baton Rouge Community College,” says Van Guarino, department chair. “We are excited to offer two-year degrees to those seeking careers related to transportation and the automotive industry. The various curricula are designed with real-word applications in mind and we have working relationships with local service departments as part of the program. Becoming part of the NAFTC allows us to broaden our course material offerings and provide even more opportunities for our students.”

BRCC’s Automotive Technology Program provides specialized classroom instruction and practical shop experience to prepare individuals in the servicing and maintenance of all types of automobiles at the entry level. The program prepares individuals in the diagnosis of malfunctions and the repair of engines, drive trains, and suspension systems; how to work with fuel, electrical, cooling, and brake systems; and techniques to select, safely use, and maintain shop equipment.

Learn more by visiting www.mybrcc.edu/academics/programs/automotive_technology/index.php

“Participation and recognition through the NAFTC has made the latest training resources, curriculum, and technical information on alternative fuel vehicles available to Ferris,” commented Ferris State University Professor Patrick English. “Because of the opportunities with the NAFTC, Ferris is slated to become a nationally recognized provider of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle education.”

The automotive engineering technology program at Ferris State prepares students to work in positions with auto manufacturers, testing companies, engineering companies, and suppliers. The program strives to keep the latest technology and a solid grounding in future technologies to best prepare graduates for what the future holds for the auto industry.

Ten years ago, Ferris State University began a primarily theory-based class covering alternative fuels. Over the last decade, the program has expanded to include a variety of hands-on projects and learning opportunities with alternative fuel vehicles, tools, and equipment.

The university has received several grants from The Ferris Foundation that have been important to funding the alternative fuel technology program, including a compressed natural gas vehicle and fuel cells, which are used as part of the lab curriculum.

Currently Ferris State is working to expand hybrid and alternative fuel programs for students and instructors.

Lawson State has been a member of the NAFTC since 2008, and several of the school’s instructors have attended electric vehicle, propane, and first responder trainings with the consortium.

Lawson State Business and Industry Liaison Tommy Hobbs commented, “The College offers students an exceptional opportunity to obtain an education of high quality built on the basis of solid academic and career programs. We see a growing need for alternative fuel vehicle training for automotive technicians and are committed to fulfilling this need through our Center for Automotive Excellence.”

Lawson State’s Automotive Service Program and Automotive Technician Program are National Automotive Technician Education Foundation (NATEF) accredited.