The facility is designed to help apprentices explore the relationship between mechanical, electrical and fluid power. It combines academic learning with interactive challenges, including a hydraulic nutcracker (pictured), cylinder-based snooker cue, joystick-controlled backhoe and piston push test.
The partners aim to raise the profile of apprenticeships and help meet the national engineering skills gap. The launch was attended by Jo Bamford of JCB, Transport System Catapult's Steve Yianni, Andy Lane of SMMT and John Savage of the National Fluid Power Centre.
Mr Yianni commented: "The skills agenda is a critical element of success for the UK to continue to be a technological and innovation-based economy. The innovation at The JCB Academy and support of Parker Hannifin is exactly the kind of industry and education partnership that is needed for the UK to continue to prosper".
