Techpro²: The Project Is Growing and Becoming Ever More Sustainable
The TechPro² initiative – supported by CNH Industrial and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in collaboration with the Salesian Society’s initiatives from around the world – is inaugurating a new course in Fossano, north western Italy, dedicated to training on IVECO natural gas vehicles.
The TechPro² project started over a decade ago as a partnership between CNH Industrial N.V., Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and CNOS-FAP (Salesian National Training and Professional Update Center). It has recently received support from CNH Industrial’s Solidarity Fund which has allocated $2 million for projects that specifically support people and local communities affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thanks to this extra boost focusing on education (one of the three areas identified for project financing), a new training course in collaboration with the Vocational Training Center and the Salesian Institute ‘Maria Ausiliatrice’ in Fossano, in north western Italy was inaugurated.
The main goal of the TechPro2 program is to train students aged between 14 and 18. Since 2008, nearly 2,300 students from all over the world have benefited from this program. The training provided – highly skilled in the automotive and industrial vehicle sectors – increases students’ chances of finding a job, especially within our service network. The training is both theoretical and practical, and this knowledge can be consolidated in the field through targeted internships. The purpose of TechPro2 is twofold: to steer these young people towards a real professional future standpoint; and to enhance the quality of specialized technical assistance for our brands’ products, offering a real response to the demand for specialized operators for authorized dealers and workshops.
The new course in Fossano will focus on the range of alternative fuel vehicles, in particular Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) models. IVECO, the commercial vehicles brand of CNH Industrial, and a leader in alternative fuel and natural gas technology, will be instrumental in its development.
IVECO will provide the technical skills, equipment, diagnostic tools and means by which students will be able to broaden and deepen their knowledge in the field of prevention and maintenance. Today, Italy has some 80 LNG refueling stations, a record in Europe, indicating the growing market penetration of natural gas vehicles for long-haul transport, and the resulting need to enhance associated technical assistance.
The green TechPro² initiative in Fossano is the latest in a successful program. CNH Industrial brands have supported a range of initiatives: in 2015 an agricultural course was inaugurated in Rome with New Holland, while in Verona in 2019, IVECO and FTP Industrial launched a new school focused on industrial engines.
Visit www.techpro2.com for a project overview and further information on the existing initiatives. Students and operators in the sector will also find an online form to request further information.
