Educational Grants for North American Schools from Hypertherm

Hypertherm Inc. (Hanover, NH), a U.S.-based manufacturer of plasma, laser, and waterjet cutting systems, returns with their “Spark Something Great” educational grant program for 2017 that will award a newly introduced Powermax45® XP plasma cutting and gouging system to ten North American schools. Grant recipients will also receive the full Plasma Cutting Technology: Theory and Practice curriculum kit.

This program, now in its third year, is meant to support the next generation of welders and metal fabricators by making the newest generation of plasma cutting equipment and standardized instruction available to schools. Applications for 2017 are due on or before April 3, with grant decisions communicated by May 1. To see more information, including instructions for submitting a 2017 grant application, please click here.

“Providing support to the next generation of metal workers is of great importance to us as we work to narrow the skills gap left by retiring baby boomers,” said Betsy Van Duyne, who manages the educational program. “The versatility of our Powermax45 XP makes it an ideal system for schools because it provides teachers with the flexibility to teach both handheld and mechanized cutting, as well as applications such as gouging and marking with air plasma.”

In addition to the grant program, the company will continue to make all ten hours of its AWS SENSE-approved Plasma Cutting Technology: Theory and Practice curriculum available for free download to teachers. This curriculum covers the plasma cutting process, common industrial uses for plasma systems, the differences between various cutting methods, safety procedures, as well as proper setup and operation. To find electronic versions of each lesson, a facilitator’s guide, student workbook, and supporting reference material, please click here. To date, teachers from more than 1,000 schools have taken advantage of the free download, helping to standardize the teaching of plasma cutting to thousands of students.

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