There has been a lot written about the fact that manufacturing is losing a lot of skilled workers and there aren’t enough qualified workers in the labor pool to replace them.

In his article for OH! Manufacturing, Addressing the manufacturing skills gap: Quit whining and start acting, Gary Walzer recommends that small manufacturing companies should be part of the solution.

We are proud to say that one such company is Tribute customer Hydrotech, Inc., a fluid power & motion automation solutions provider out of Cincinnati, OH. Hydrotech teamed with Bosch Rexroth, a leading specialist in drive and control technologies, to replace old fluid power lab equipment at Cincinnati State Technical College.

The lab equipment used by students studying Pneumatics and Fluid Dynamics had been in use for over 20 years by thousands of students and the equipment started to show its age. Hydrotech donated four Pneumatic and Fluid Dynamic Training Systems in replacement of the old technology with components from Bosch Rexroth.

Mike Tonyan, Vice President of Hydrotech, Inc. explains how the partnership came together:

“The original request was from Bosch Rexroth’s Learning Center who contacted us. The request was very desirable due to the possibility of a partnership with Cincinnati State’s College and the building of relationships with the students and departmental heads”.

When asked why Hydrotech wanted to invest in Cincinnati State's Fluid Power program he stated, “You have to be able to pique and hold young kid’s interest these days. You do that by providing new, cutting-edge technology that not only is top of its class, but is aesthetically appealing too.”

Rex Wetherill, President of Hydrotech, when asked what the best part of donating the test stands were replied, “Since most of Cincinnati State’s graduates find jobs in the Tri-State, it is rewarding that we may have helped those students and local companies find qualified candidates for their open positions. Ultimately we are advancing the Fluid Power and Motion Automation industry locally and attracting more talent.”

The partnership between Hydrotech, Bosch Rexroth, and Cincinnati State is a great example of how investing in education can have positive effects for students and businesses.

For Hydrotech's complete article, click here. To read our previous article on how veterans help can address the skills gap, click here. To read our article on Fluid Power Industry Seminars, click here. For our previous article on Bosch Rexroth's Go To Products mobile app, click here.