One of the primary advantages of a brick-and-mortar location is that it allows for an interactive classroom setup, Mr. Minter said.
The classroom in the company's new facility is equipped to support 24 participants and was designed to provide a fully interactive environment, complete with interactive projection screen and tablet PCs at each participant's training station. Training center students have the ability to share files between computers, submit questions to the instructor and take quizzes in real time, Mr. Minter said.
An adjacent 4,000-sq.-ft. shop area was built to support up to six vehicles for hands-on training purposes. It features an array of equipment, such as OEM and aftermarket scan tools, thermal imaging cameras and AR&D's own HEV battery and electric transmission diagnostic and repair equipment kits.
According to Mr. Minter, the small classroom size is meant to help foster interactivity.
“If it was all lecture-based, obviously we could kind of expand (the size) out indefinitely, but to maintain a good quality hands-on environment, the smaller groups are better,” he said. “So our plan to serve needs as they become larger and larger will be to run classes more frequently rather than expanding the size of the classes.”
A dedicated training center also offers a level of consistency not typically seen in on-site training, which can be impacted by the types of available equipment and vehicles, along with the environment itself.
Lastly, Mr. Minter said one of the biggest advantages of a dedicated training center is immersion in the material, something that's difficult to achieve at a real automotive service business, where day-to-day activities can often create interference.
“One of the things we're really trying to do with this is immerse the guys in the technology,” he said. “So we want the techs to come in here and not be distracted by what else is going on in their shop…. We're trying to get it where they really come in and can be focused on the technology for the entire class.”
Expanding coursework
Mr. Minter added that having a dedicated HEV training facility has allowed AR&D to focus on reviewing its existing curriculum and “make modifications to take advantage of classroom technology in on-site training classes.”
“While this technology may at first glance seem to be a novelty, it's going to be used to employ new techniques to improve retention of the highly technical content,” he said. “We are beginning to incorporate the principles of accelerated learning into all of our training.”
Mr. Minter said the center will run its first non-THS course on July 8.
The training schedule at the facility features a variety of course offerings, including the SAE International Advanced HEV Diagnostics Certificate of Competency — the first and only recognized industry HEV credential requiring four days of hands-on training with both practical and written proctored final exams on day five, according to AR&D.
A full schedule of courses offered, description of courses and registration information can be found on AR&D's website.
Beginning in 2015, the company plans to expand its course offerings further with an instructor workshop.
“This will focus on providing instructors with a more in-depth look at various hybrid-electric vehicle systems and components, along with providing them information on how to construct training aids they can use at their schools,” Mr. Minter said.
Also beginning next year, AR&D intends to hold mini-conferences — each open to about 50 attendees — at its facility twice a year to focus on other advanced vehicle technologies, like compressed natural gas and fuel cell energy, he said.
“What we want to do is kind of expand out our area, not so much our owner area of expertise, but to use the training facility as a way to help expose the service industry to those other advanced technologies and leverage people that are the experts in those areas,” Mr. Minter said.
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To reach this reporter: [email protected]; 330-865-6148.
