The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC), a program of West Virginia University, was recently awarded $800,000 for the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Curriculum Development and Outreach Initiative.

NAFTC was among 11 national projects to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Through this initiative, the NAFTC will continue to develop curricula on alternative fuel and electric drive vehicles for audiences not previously considered. These audiences include collision repair personnel; fueling, maintenance, and repair facility personnel; tow truck operators; and salvage yard and recycling operators. These classes will follow the highly successful First Responder Safety Training series that has become the industry standard.

The initiative will have a national impact and establish resources that will last beyond the project’s completion through online courses and a network of trained safety instructors.

“This new funding will allow the NAFTC to continue to lead the way in ensuring that everyone coming into contact with an alternative fuel vehicle is trained to safely work with it,” said NAFTC Director Bill Davis.

“We are the only nationwide organization that provides training in all available alternative fuel vehicles,” said Davis. “We have learned that while they are as safe as traditional gasoline cars, alternative fuel vehicles are different, as are the safety procedures that workers need to follow in dealing with them. The need for proper training really extends to a much larger audience than anyone previously considered.”

This project allows the NAFTC to continue its close working relationship with the U.S. DOE, U.S. DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. DOE Clean Cities Program and Clean Cities coalitions across the country.

-WVU-

jm/03/13/15

CONTACT: Judy Moore, National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium
304-293-7882 (office), 304-669-4870 (cell), Judy.Moore@mail.wvu.edu

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