Automotive instructors from three Hawaii community colleges are now equipped with the training they need to prepare students for careers in hybrid and electric car repair and maintenance.

Instructors from Honolulu Community College, Kauai Community College and Leeward Community College recently attended a four-day workshop where they learned theories behind the operation of low-emission vehicles and worked with actual cars such as the Nissan Leaf. 

The training was funded by the University of Hawaii’s federal Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College Training Grant, commonly known as C3T Hawaii. 

In 2011, the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration awarded the $24.6 grant to the university for use at all of its community college campuses. The grant is meant to support programs that contribute to economic development in the agriculture, energy and health industries. 

Photo: The engine of the Nissan Leaf, an electric vehicle. (Courtesy of Netcars.com via Flickr.)

— Alia Wong