Aroostook County Technology centers learn importance of safety when fixing hybrid electric vehicles

CARIBOU, Maine (WAGM) - Hybrid/electric vehicles are becoming more popular around the state of Maine. This has lead to an increased need for people who know how to fix them. News Source 8′s Isaac Potter was at a hybrid/electric vehicle training class today held at the Caribou Regional Technology Center and has the story.

Automotive technology staff and students around Aroostook County spent the day Tuesday at the Caribou Regional Technology Center learning about hybrid electric vehicles. Maine Automobile Dealers Association and the Washington County Community College held a sponsored training on the importance of safety when fixing hybrid electric vehicles.

Chris Haskins, Automotive Technology Instructor at St. John Valley Technical Center, says “The Maine Automobile Leaders association has been training the automotive instructors for all the CTE centers in Maine. We had a very good training last fall, and we asked them if they would bring it to the students. And the fact that our tech center just got a new hybrid vehicle, there is more hybrid vehicles out on the road, and Washington Community College has some training stuff.”

Schools like the St. John Valley Technology Center, Caribou Regional Technology Center, and the Houlton Regional Technology Center all attended the training. Haskins says he hopes it will open their eyes to a whole new world of automotive repair.

Chris Haskins: “The students are very engaged right now, they see the differences in the technology vs the engines that they have in their shop, the electric stuff that is there. Some of the demonstrations that they doing right now is opening up their eyes to the changes that they have to look at. The after market is opening up to the repair of electrical vehicles and there is a whole new world for them to go out and make money and have a good career in automotive repair. Whether that is in gas engines or electric, the area is opening up.”

Haskins adds the best part of the training was seeing the schools come together to learn.

Chris Haskins: “It’s just to see the kids from different schools get together and they are all learning the same thing at the same time. Even though they are from 120 miles they are kids still learning in a school system.”

The training continue Wednesday at the Caribou Regional Technology Center Haskins says he hopes there will be more opportunities like this in the future. Isaac Potter News Source 8.

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