Rocester, UK, 1 September 2014 - Global engineering company Parker Hannifin is sponsoring up to £80,000 to help The JCB Academy develop a specialist hydraulic engineering training facility.

The Rocester-based academy, which provides specialist engineering tuition for students aged 14 to 19 years, will extend its fluid power curriculum to include hands-on hydraulics education. Parker has committed its support to the programme, by agreeing to provide a hydraulic training rig at no cost.

The partners are now producing designs for a dedicated training area, which will include learning materials, interactive resources and a creative space to inspire young engineers. Discussions are also progressing with a view to Parker's hydraulics experts supporting practical student workshops

Commenting on Parker's support, The JCB Academy principal Jim Wade said: "This donation will enable us to really develop the hydraulics programme that we offer.

"Our students currently look at hydraulics in theory and practice, but they get very little chance to actually test that out and experiment with hydraulic processes. The rig being donated will enable them to put that theory into practice. It will also provide key hands-on practical experience for people on our apprentice programme, and hopefully help them to be more effective when designing new hydraulic systems in future."

Academy director of apprenticeships Jim Bailey added: "We rely on our sponsors to add real world knowledge and expertise to our curriculum and this is a great opportunity for us to raise our teaching capabilities and facilities."

"Once completed, the new fluid power training area will provide a practical and attractive space for students and tutors alike. We know that Parker's expertise and equipment will provide an excellent practical base and further enhance the existing fluid power curriculum."

Parker Sales regional general manager UK & Ireland, Nigel Judd said: "The engineering industry desperately needs to recruit and develop young people in many areas - from construction and distribution, through to life sciences and industrial markets.

"We're very excited at the prospect of helping The JCB Academy to develop and inspire the engineers of the future. The new training area will provide a practical, inspiring space where students and teachers can exchange ideas and learn new skills."

The new facility is expected to open in November 2014.

Parker Hannifin:
With annual sales of $13 billion in fiscal year 2014, Parker Hannifin is the world's leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs approximately 57,500 people in 50 countries around the world.

Parker has increased its annual dividends paid to shareholders for 58 consecutive fiscal years, among the top five longest-running dividend-increase records in the S&P 500 index.www.parker.com or its investor information website at www.phstock.com.

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