“One of the needs has always been the advanced electrification in vehicles. Hybrid vehicle technology is an up-and-coming area of the automotive industry. With the vehicle that we have now, we have the ability to start teaching that and incorporating that into the program,” said Michael Erny, automotive program chair for Ivy Tech’s Kokomo region.

The automotive program has been in existence at the Kokomo region for more than 30 years, but has always focused on traditional, combustion engines with the addition of diesel technology added a few years ago. Erny says a new syllabus and re-developed curriculum are currently being updated to include hybrid technology. Additional classes are expected to be developed to focus more in-depth into hybrid technology.

“Our intention is by the time a student gets done with the program, he/she would be able to diagnose problems with a hybrid vehicle, perform part replacement, take the battery and converter out and do a full-service diagnosis on the vehicle,” said Erny.

The car will be used in the classroom as early as the 2012 spring semester. The automotive program at Ivy Tech’s Kokomo region has roughly 125 students currently taking classes. School of Technology Dean Rodni Lytle says having the ability to offer students hybrid technology education is especially important in Kokomo, a city well known in the automotive industry.

“The Kokomo region is in a technology-enriched manufacturing area of the United States and we need to harness this potential. The addition of hybrid technologies compliments the current strengths of our automotive program. The net result provides students and industry with advanced technology and training close to home,” said Lytle.

Lytle says some adjunct faculty members at the Kokomo region already work in the industry with hybrid technology and are aware of its operations. This allows Ivy Tech to bring real-world experience and training into the classroom.

“What industry is telling us is employers want to be able to hire students with that type of learning already in their hands,” said Lytle.

The hybrid Prius sedan was funded through a federal Perkins grant. Enrollment for the spring semester in the automotive technology program is currently underway. More information about the program can be found at www.ivytech.edu/kokomo or by calling 800-459-0561.

Ivy Tech Community College is the state's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.

Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region serves Cass, Fulton, Howard, Miami, Tipton and Wabash counties and includes campuses or instructional sites in the communities of Kokomo, Logansport, North Manchester, Peru, Rochester, Wabash and Winamac.