Parker Hannifin’s Sales Company UK and Ireland has announced support for the newly created Clean Energy Education Hub at Redcar and Cleveland College, in Teesside, North Yorkshire. This is part of wider efforts to support the region’s drive towards hydrogen.
Redcar and Cleveland College is a further education college that offers apprenticeship training as well as vocational and higher education courses.
Its Clean Energy Education Hub, which is a 1,000-square metre workshop, will train school leavers, apprentices and adult learners to work within the clean and renewable energy sector. Its training includes commercial courses, bespoke employer-led programmes, and higher education. The hub will help to equip people with the right skills for jobs in the renewable and low-carbon sectors.
Redcar is currently one of two areas being considered for a hydrogen conversion trial as part of the Redcar Hydrogen Community Project. If the proposal is approved by government, the project would go live in 2025 and see around 2,000 homes and businesses in parts of Coatham, Warrenby and an area of Kirkleatham, transfer their heating systems and other energy needs from gas to locally produced hydrogen.
Parker is one of a few companies sponsoring the college’s £3.2 million Clean Energy Education Hub, which is primarily funded by the Redcar Town Deal Board investment plan. The company also sponsors the development of a training room and is providing educational equipment including hydrogen-specific connectors, cutters, deburr tools and hand tube benders.
Parker’s involvement is part of the company’s efforts to enable the transition to clean energies, including hydrogen and electrification solutions.
Robert Airey, Parker’s UK Market Development Manager – Clean Fuels, said: “Our aim is to encourage and inspire more young people into engineering, to help create engineers of the future who can work within the low carbon sector and ultimately to develop new and better solutions.”
“Cleaner energy sources are vital for the planet and hydrogen can make a big contribution to a global net zero strategy. We’re extremely excited to work with the College, and to be able to support the very first students who train here,” he said.
Jason Faulkner, Executive Principal of Redcar and Cleveland College, said: “The products and materials supplied by Parker will help students to understand and work with hydrogen, which has very specific properties. They will learn about the materials, sealing solutions, and connectors which can withstand high temperatures, hydrogen embrittlement and extreme environments.”
“The industry will need trained engineers and employees to install and service appliances and systems while adhering to health and safety requirements, and the Clean Energy Education Hub will deliver hydrogen-specific training so that it can actively support employment in the area.”
“Parker’s knowledge and experience in this area is invaluable and we’re delighted that they’ve become involved with this important STEM initiative,” he added.
The Clean Energy Education Hub had opened in the month of May when Jason Faulkner welcomed John Sampson, Managing Director of Redcar Borough Council, and Darren Winter, Chair of the Redcar Town Deal Board into the workshop. Students will start their courses later this year.
