Fast Track to Fluid Power: Husco International & Palmyra/Eagle High School

Programs like the Fast Track to Fluid Power are made possible in part by the generous support of industry volunteers as well as NFPA Education and Technology Foundation and Pascal Society donors. 

NFPA members and educator partners in Wisconsin continue to stay engaged in NFPA’s Fast Track to Fluid Power program.

I had the opportunity to join the Palmyra/Eagle High School SkillsUSA team for a tour at one of NFPA’s members and Fast Track partners, Husco International. Palmyra/Eagle High SkillsUSA team had a chance to tour Husco’s Corporate Headquarters in Waukesha. The SkillsUSA team was able to connect with Husco engineers, learn about some of the projects their engineers were working on and get first-hand experience in some of the technology in the manufacturing industry; they also were able to learn about the Husco Scholars Program and participate in a technical challenge.

Palmyra/Eagle High School is one of the area high schools that feed into NFPA Fast Track hub at Waukesha County Technical College Palmyra/Eagle High School has a diverse curriculum, and its course catalog offers more than sixteen career pathway clusters, including business management, engineering, marketing, and agriculture. The high school offers students the following engineering courses: Metals, Welding, CADD Design, Power, Energy, Transportation, Robotics, Woodworking which will eventually create a pipeline of students interested in fluid power.

Husco International is a privately owned company specializing in hydraulic and electro-mechanical control systems for automotive and off-highway equipment. You can find Husco technology in vehicles and off-highway equipment worldwide, such as Ford, Volkswagen, Caterpillar, and John Deere. Husco offers graduating high school seniors the opportunity to participate in their internships and co-op program. Husco’s internship programs last twelve weeks, and their co-ops range from six months to twelve months. Husco offers its interns and scholars a wide range of pathways opportunities in engineering, supply chain, and administrative positions.

Wisconsin NFPA members who would like to get involved and host students at their site can contact NFPA Workforce Program Manager Eric Pannell at epannell@nfpa.com or 414-778-3364.