Certification CFC-Solar is the recognized leader among industrial training organizations when it comes to getting personnel certified using standards developed by the Fluid Power Society (FPS). Our staff is uniquely qualified in certifying your personnel because we have more Fluid Power Society Staff Instructors than any other organization. This Staff Instructor status recognizes them as the best-of-the-best in their field and makes them qualified to teach on behalf of the FPS. In fact we are the source where FPS Accredited Fluid Power instructors are trained and that expertise is available directly to you!

Why Become Certified?
Thousands of associations utilize professional certification to recognize individuals for their dedication to their chosen career and their ability to perform to set standards. FPS certified individuals are found in every facet of industry including aerospace, agriculture, energy, construction machinery, manufacturing, mining, packaging, shipbuilding and more. Both union and non-union environments benefit from certification and it is a great program to add to any apprenticeship program.

Benefit to Individuals

• Improves career opportunities and advancement
• Provides for greater earnings potential
• Demonstrates commitment
• Establishes professional credentials that identify you as having a level of experience and knowledge critical to industry

Benefit to Organization

• Decrease liabilities that result from improper maintenance
• Establishes a minimal level of fluid power knowledge and skills
• Decrease downtime with smarter workforce
• Builds self-esteem among employees
• Increases your organizations credibility
• Educate your customers – so you don’t have to
• Validate that your employees and prospective employees have the highest skills needed to do the job

Certification Types and Levels
Certification is available in specific areas and to various levels. The first table below lists the specific areas and levels.

Skills sets descriptive of the various levels are listed in the table below.

New Certification for 2005
In 2005 a new certification was added that has been 2 years in the making. The Fluid Power Conductor and Connector Assembler certification verifies that individuals can properly fabricate, assemble and test hose and tube assemblies. Created with extensive input form the hose manufacturers this certification may soon be required (by the manufacturers) of employees who work for companies that make and sell their hoses. For more info contact us.

How to Get Certified
Certification in each area and at each level is obtained by receiving a passing grade on a 3-hour written test. Additionally, a one time stand-alone 3-hour hands-on Job Performance test is required of Mechanic and Technician applicants. The Job Performance test measures tube bending, electrical measurement, knowledge of fittings and more. Click on test fees to see current FPS fees that they charge for the written and hands-on test.

The Fluid Power Society highly recommends an optional review session before taking any exam. CFC-Solar has conducted more public and private review sessions than any other training organization! Click on review session for more information on these review classes.

Preparing for Certification
CFC-Solar has extensive experience working with organizations that are looking to get their personnel certified. If you seek certification, but like most companies, you suspect your people require additional training, CFC-Solar has a pre-assessment to gauge your staff’s knowledge. Based on the results of this assessment you may schedule a review and test or you may want to look further into additional training that is needed to get your employees the skills and knowledge needed to pass the certification tests. See our training track page for details on how we have mapped out courses to prepare individuals for all levels of certification.

Academia
As with Microsoft or other outside certifications, companies seek individuals holding both degrees and independent certifications. If you work for an academic organization, FPS certification can be added to compliment your 2 and 4 year degree programs. In Ohio, CFC-Solar has been working recently with the statewide coalition of community colleges, Enterprise Ohio Network, to promote FPS certification to industry in Ohio. See the EON FPS brochure for more info or contact us to discuss this program and how we can work with your organization in this area. Also see our academic partnership page for further information on our partnerships.

Contact us and with any other certification questions you may have!