Vital to the success of process-related industries such as petroleum refining, chemical manufacturing, oil and gas production, and power generation is the job of the process technician or operator. Process technicians monitor and control industry equipment and processes. The process technician position has become much more complex in recent years, requiring more knowledge and skills in computing, teamwork, problem solving, regulatory compliance, and troubleshooting. Compounding the problem is the abnormally high number of retirements projected over the next 7 to 10 years in these industry sectors. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Labor projects growth in the oil and gas exploration and production and pharmaceutical industry sectors. Companies must have qualified workers who possess the skills and knowledge needed to perform successfully in this advanced job. Global competitiveness of process industries depends on the availability of quality education programs and student access to these educational opportunities.
The Center for the Advancement of Process Technology (CAPT) was formed in 2002 as a national collaboration between education and industry in six process technology alliances - Alaska Process Industry Careers Consortium, Greater New Jersey Process Technology Alliance, Gulf Coast Process Technology Alliance, Louisiana Process Technology Alliance, Oklahoma Partnership of Industry and Education, and Southern California Chemical Technology Alliance. These alliances include industry partners in the chemical, refining, exploration and production, and pharmaceutical sectors such as BASF, BP, Chevron Texaco, ConocoPhillips, Dow Chemical, DuPont, Eastman Chemical, ExxonMobil, Lyondell-Citgo Refining, Merck, Oklahoma Gas and Electric and Shell. The Center has 39 national education partners in 18 states and the Virgin Islands and 3 international education partners.
Intellectual Merit: The mission of CAPT is to support the ongoing development of a highly skilled, educated and diverse process technician workforce. CAPT fosters the development and enhancement of quality two-year degree programs based on industry-established standards. In 2002, partners identified the top 10 critical issues facing process technology education. To address these critical issues, CAPT focuses on 5 primary goals: 1. Develop curricula and instructional materials to support process technology education. 2. Provide professional development opportunities for community college and high school faculty who prepare students for careers in the process industries. 3. Support program development and improvement to serve student and industry needs. 4. Establish and foster partnerships linking industry, education, and government to advance process technology education. 5. Provide organizational and fiscal development to assure CAPT's health and sustainability.
Broader Impacts: CAPT has worked with partners during the past three years to address key critical issues. A recent needs analysis confirmed that partners are satisfied with activities conducted as solutions for a subset of identified critical issues. In response to partners, CAPT is expanding and strengthening previously established activities. CAPT is also implementing new activities that build upon previous experiences.
