Hands-On Training Prepares More than 100 Automotive Students to Service Alternative Fueled Vehicles

Don Schons during a recent Hands-on Training for Propane Vehicles.

Funder: U.S. Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Office Clean Cities & Communities

Location: Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) West Hills Center, Oakdale, PA

Fleet or Project type: Natural Gas and Propane Vehicles

Narrative: Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities (PRCC), hosted by stakeholder Community College of Allegheny County West Hills Center (CCAC), recently held two hands-on vehicle demonstrations that allowed attendees to experience natural gas and propane components and vehicles in a live context.  

The hands-on training series is designed to teach students about the differences across natural gas and propane system components in the immediate context of demonstrated vehicles and equipment.  A goal of the series is to target safety and safe working habits when performing maintenance on alternative-fueled vehicles. 

Don Schons of ProGas, Inc., a PRCC Board Member and Silver Level Sustainable Member Company, helped lead the training. 

Outputs & Outcomes: The small-group, single-day courses, offered as part of a 13 year partnership between PRCC and CCAC, enrolled 12 students in March 2024. Over the length of the PRCC-CCAC partnership, it is estimated that over 100 people have received in-context training on different alternative fuels and technologies.

As a result of the series, many participants have helped their companies transition towards using these fuels in the Pittsburgh region; and, the State of PA is better able to sustain an industry that leads the nation—along with CA, OK, and TX—in natural gas and propane infrastructure.