Fieldpiece Instruments, a leader in tool and test instruments for HVACR professionals for over 30 years, has awarded a total of $17,500 in grants to seven deserving students in the first round of its second annual #MasteroftheTrade Scholarship program. An additional $10,000 will be distributed to the six gold, silver and bronze medal-winning high school and college/postsecondary students that top the leader-board rankings of the National Leadership & Skills Conference in June.

The #MasteroftheTrade Scholarship, administered through SkillsUSA, aims to close the talent gap in the U.S. labor market for the heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration trades by allocating funds to industry up-and-comers to use for college tuition fees or postsecondary HVACR technology program costs.

“With so many deserving applicants to the #MasteroftheTrade Scholarship, it was a challenge selecting the seven winners. We received many applications from across the nation submitted by bright, talented and motivated individuals pursuing a future in HVACR, which was extremely rewarding to see,” said Fieldpiece Instruments’ head of marketing, Diana Liem. “Congratulations to this year’s group of recipients; Fieldpiece is honored to provide these financial gifts as we continue to encourage industry growth through other initiatives like student discounts and in-depth skills enhancement for HVACR pros at all levels through Fieldpiece University.”

The seven accomplished SkillsUSA students named to receive the initial round of funding for Fieldpiece’s second annual #MasteroftheTrade Scholarship are the follow:

• Alabama: James Rogers, Alabama Army National Guard and Jason Rawls, Bevill State Community College
• Massachusetts: Hunter Claflin, HVARC program at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School
• Nebraska: Thomas Harling, University of Nebraska Lincoln
• North Carolina: Irma Gonzales, Central Carolina Community College
• Oklahoma: Ben Williams, East Central University
• Tennessee: Stacey Hicks, Chattanooga State Community College

On a mission to give back to the industry, Fieldpiece Instruments first introduced this scholarship program last year to help address the nearly one-hundred thousand unfilled HVACR technician jobs in the field reported in 2022. This important workforce is vital to ensuring energy is not wasted, food does not spoil and the comfort and safety of individuals are met on a daily basis. Pursuing a career in HVACR means having a consistent, well-paying job and offers professionals freedom, access to a hands-on work environment and the opportunity to create a lasting and positive impact on businesses, communities and the planet.

“SkillsUSA is proud to have had the opportunity to partner with Fieldpiece Instruments for the second year in a row,” said Chelle Travis, executive director at SkillsUSA. “Playing a small role in the career trajectory of eager young professionals is an honor and we look forward to seeing these rising stars continue to cultivate their skills and contribute to this critical workforce.”

To learn more, visit www.fieldpiece.com/Scholarship.