NAFA Partners with Ferris State University to Enhance CAFM Program

May 19, 2008 - PRLog -- Fleet professionals have long recognized NAFA's Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM) program as both the most popular and most significant fleet management certification program.  A new partnership between NAFA and Ferris State University in Michigan will further enhance the credibility of the CAFM program and allow the program to reach new heights.

The partnership was first announced by NAFA President Gayle Pratt at the Association's 2008 Institute & Expo in Salt Lake City.  The arrangement includes a four-step degree plan that begins with awarding CAFM program participants 12 semester hours of college credit for successful completion of the program and ends with a Bachelor of Science Degree with a minor in Fleet Management.

The CAFM program and Ferris State University courses will be available on-line, as well as being offered on campus, making it possible for anyone to pursue the degree.  NAFA will also have the option of hosting the CAFM testing online through FSU. This gives NAFA the ability to schedule exams at any time, rather than the four or five times a year as currently offered.

"These are critical steps in affirming and enhancing the value of the CAFM program, in ensuring the future growth of NAFA as we cultivate new members, and in bolstering the professional image of fleet management," said NAFA Senior Vice President Chris Amos, CAFM.

Ferris State University Assistant Professors Spence Tower, Ph.D and Gary Maike are currently working on developing the Fleet Management minor.

"It is apparent that there is an unfilled need for qualified graduates that have earned credentials that will help them pursue a career in fleet management," explained FSU Assistant Professor Gary Maike.  "This is where I collaborated with Spence and we began exploring what our possibilities might be.  We are developing a minor in Fleet Management that will be available for all our students.  This would steer our engineering students toward more of the courses that Spence's College of Business offers, but more importantly, in my mind, it is an opportunity to attract College of Business students toward considering fleet management as a specialty area."

The partnership will not change the way the CAFM program has been taught, but simply having the courses available for college credit should help open the doors for a new generation of fleet managers.  

About Ferris State University
Ferris State University is a comprehensive public university with an emphasis on career-oriented programming in the Heavy Equipment, Automotive, and Business Management industries.  FSU has nationally recognized educational degree programs in those areas.  

About NAFA Fleet Management
NAFA Fleet Management Association, Inc. is a not-for-profit, individual membership professional society serving the needs of Members who manage fleets of automobiles, SUVs, trucks, vans and a wide range of specialized mobile equipment for organizations in the United States and Canada.   NAFA's Full and Associate Members are responsible for the specification, acquisition, maintenance and disposal of more than 3.5 million vehicles – including in excess of 1.1 million trucks.  In fact, NAFA Members across the North American continent have more than 350,000 medium- and heavy-duty trucks in their fleets, totaling more than $21 billion dollars in assets for medium- and heavy-duty trucks alone.

Website: www.nafa.org