NAFTC secures national award for Electric Drive Vehicle Automotive Technician Training

The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium, a program of West Virginia University, was awarded its fourth, and third in a row, National Excellence in Training Award in the past seven years from the Automotive Training Manager's Council for its Electric Drive Vehicle Automotive Technician Training.

As stated in a release from ATMC, “the National Excellence in Training Awards are given annually to highly effective or innovative training programs that are submitted to an ATMC panel for review. The awards are designed to call attention to the importance of training to the success of the transportation industry. Selected from numerous submissions, these programs were singled out for their ability to meet the education needs of industry professionals through exceptional application of development, delivery, and assessment training principles.” The award is open to any individual or corporation that provides training in the industry.

The NAFTC developed the Electric Drive Vehicle Automotive Technician Training through a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) to educate, train, and prepare pre- and in-service automotive technicians on the rapidly expanding field of electric drive vehicle diagnostics and repair.

“Receipt of this award for the third year in a row is validation for us that the programs we are developing are what the industry wants and needs, said Bill Davis, director of the NAFTC. “Our staff and the development process we use are second to none.”

The Electric Drive Vehicle Automotive Technician Training suite of products consists of training curricula targeting technical college, pre- and in-service automotive personnel, and high school and career and technical education students; an online electric drive vehicle safety and electricity prerequisite for those attending the above mentioned training; a mobile classroom trailer used not only to educate students and the public on electric drive vehicles, but to also allow NAFTC affiliated educational partners to promote the availability of these electric drive vehicle courses in their schools; and a Hybrid Electric Vehicle Training Educator (HEVTE) - a heavily modified hybrid electric vehicle cutaway that is used extensively in the electric drive vehicle classroom environment. Complete information on the Electric Drive Vehicle Automotive Technician Training suite of products can be found at http://www.naftc.wvu.edu or http://www.aedve.info.

The NAFTC will receive its award in a formal presentation at the ATMC’s annual reception during the AAPEX and SEMA shows in Las Vegas on November 5th. The NAFTC’s three previous National Excellence in Training Awards were received in 2007, for its Overview of Biodiesel course; in 2012 for its Electric Drive Vehicle First Responder Safety Training suite of products; and in 2013 for its Petroleum Reduction Technologies curriculum and supporting materials.

The ATMC is an organization founded by automotive training professionals for the exchange of training ideas and strategies.

Davis added, “Our thanks go to the judging panel for the recognition of the work that the team accomplished, and we appreciate ATMC for hosting the award. A special thanks goes to all of our advisory committee, partners, reviewers, and the members of the NAFTC for all the hard work and advice they provided. And remember, TOGETHER, WE DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.”

In addition to the NAFTC, this year’s recipients include Bridgestone Retail Operations in conjunction with CARQUEST Technical Institute; Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair (CCAR); General Motors in conjunction with Raytheon Professional Services LLC; Genuine Parts Company / NAPA Auto Parts; KPA; Mack and Volvo Truck Academies in partnership with WyoTech; NAPA AutoTech; and Nissan North America, Inc.

The NAFTC was founded in 1992 and manages education and outreach programs and activities, develops curricula, and conducts training on subject matter related to alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. The NAFTC works with universities, community colleges and high schools around the country to develop training programs for dissemination at the local level. The organization consists of approximately 50 National and Associate Training Centers that utilize its curricula and training materials.