April 2022

In this issue:

Company Profiles Tell You Who's Hiring
Robotics Challenge Scholarship Deadline Fast Approaching
Research Supplement Application Now Available
Action Challenge Re-Cap
NFPA Fast Track Hubs Make Real Connections
Scholarships & Grants
Let's Get Social!

Company Profiles Tell You Who's Hiring

One of the great features on the NFPA Foundation website is a dedicated page where technical college and university students can see who is hiring in the fluid power industry. As member companies continue to upload their company profiles, more and more information is available. These profiles offer links to company websites and frequently to their hiring pages where you can see what types of jobs they are hiring for. Many companies have also provided information that lets applicants learn more about the company culture, locations, and internship opportunities.

Once you've seen which companies are hiring, upload your student resume using the link below and we'll share it with our member companies.

The NFPA Foundation website serves as a one-stop shop for students and educators at all levels to find information about NFPA programs, resources, and support. If you have any questions about the material you find on the website, please reach out to NFPA's Workforce Team at workforce@nfpa.com.

Upload Your Resume Here

Robotics Challenge Scholarship Deadline
Fast Approaching

The deadline for high school seniors to apply for NFPA’s $40,000 Robotics Challenge Scholarship is May 1, 2022. Do you know a student who participates in a FIRST® Robotics, National Robotics League, or VEX Competition Team and uses fluid power in the competition? If so, please let them know about this scholarship. Students must use the scholarship to study engineering at an accredited technical college or university in the United States. Apply online!

For additional information contact Mary Pluta at mpluta@nfpa.com.

Apply Now!

Research Supplement Application Now Available

The NFPA Education and Technology Foundation is again offering research supplements to support academic researchers with existing research grants in fluid power. This helps to engage and build the careers of current and future university faculty who teach fluid power to undergraduate engineers on their campuses.

Ten $7,500 research supplements will be awarded to faculty members and their graduate students to facilitate attendance at industry conferences and research summits. Recipients will attend and present the project associated with their research award at the two summits of the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP), to be scheduled for October 2022 and April 2023.

The application deadline is July 29, 2022 and award notification will occur week of August 22, 2022.

Questions? Contact us at workforce@nfpa.com.

Action Challenge Re-Cap

Ridgewood Community High School in Illinois hosted a Fluid Power Action Challenge for students at J. Giles Elementary School in March. 113 students on 28 teams participated, learning about how fluid power can move objects and having fun. NFPA member companies HydraForce and QCC were on hand to provide expert guidance and serve as judges. A special thanks to Antigone Sharris for her help with this event.

If you would like to host or participate in an Action Challenge event, please contact Eric Pannell at epannell@nfpa.com.

Want to see how it all started? Check out this video of NFPA's first Action Challenge event.

NFPA Fast Track Hubs Make Real Connections

NFPA's Fast Track Program is all about making connections between technical colleges, high schools, and industry members to promote fluid power education and careers. The Hub of NFPA’s Fast Track program is a technical or community college with a validated fluid power and mechatronics degree program. The spokes are a ring of local high schools, each equipped with fluid power lab equipment and curriculum. Our industry partners provide ongoing curriculum guidance, student internship opportunities, and mentorship.

Students who study fluid power at a Fast Track Technical College have the ability to:

Read circuit diagrams and understand function of components in fluid power systems
Determine and perform calculations to move loads in fluid power systems (e.g., torque, speed, power)
Specify and size components for fluid power systems (e.g., pumps, valves, cylinders, hoses, filters, reservoirs, accumulators)
Analyze and troubleshoot problems with fluid power systems
Program and connect electronic controls for fluid power systems
Promote safe working conditions with pressurized systems

To learn more about our current Fast Track Hubs and find one near you, contact Amy Zignego at azignego@nfpa.com

Scholarships & Grants

Action Challenge Grant - For Teachers!

Fluid Power Scholarship
Robotics Challenge Scholarship

Let's Get Social!

Show off your fluid power projects and learning activities! Post your pictures to #FluidPowerInAction on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter to join the conversation. Sharing pictures from our education partners helps our members stay informed and engaged with NFPA workforce programs.