The LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy, & Technology (CPET) offers San Jacinto College students innovative ways of connecting with industry partners. This industry access gives CPET grads a leg up when it comes to job placement.
Thanks to his athletics background, Jeff Pearce, coordinator for education and workforce at CPET, has developed some of these unique events, including Scout Week.
The San Jacinto College CPET's Eaton Commons was packed with more than 400 students and 35 industry representatives at the CPET Industrial Career Fair last September.
"As a volleyball coach, I would make sure our entire team was prepped when we knew a scout was coming to a practice," Pearce said. "It's no different for CPET. Inviting industry into our labs and showcasing our students' knowledge base and engagement opens up an avenue for conversation."
Scout Week took place at CPET April 4-7. Representatives from companies sat and observed students in CPET's learning environment. Some observed classroom activity, while others got hands-on by joining a lab group.
"We leave it up to interpretation, but the goal is to get representatives in the classrooms and have them associate students' names to faces," Pearce said.
On April 6, CPET also hosted a career fair with more than 20 industrial and petrochemical companies. The facility's last career fair in September 2021 saw more than 400 attendees and 35 industrial representatives.
"We are eager to showcase our students at these events, and their participation shows the dedication to their craft," Pearce said. "We hope to connect students to the industry enough that when they meet the reps at a career fair, they might have already established a relationship."
Additionally, CPET and San Jacinto College's career services have joined forces to present Industrial Virtual Interview Training Experience (InVITE) sessions. InVITE sessions take place like typical interviews, with a panel of CPET, industry and career services representatives. Students answer general and scenario-based questions for 30 minutes, and then receive feedback.
"We started with doing interviews three days a week, and slots started to fill up quickly," Pearce said. "Career coordinators from the North Campus, Central Campus and South Campus are all involved to help facilitate each interview and offer real-time feedback to students."
Representatives spanning from instrumentation, process technology and welding industries have volunteered their time to help students hone their skills.
"I'm proud of San Jacinto College for starting this initiative," said Carla Thompson, workforce development manager for Turner Industries. "We are building our future and the competencies and expectations that are set out for the industry."
David Gosnay, operations manager for training and logistics at LyondellBasell, spends 60 percent of his workweek at the facility as a liaison between industry and education.
"LyondellBasell sees the value in workforce development," Gosnay said. "Partnering with San Jacinto College gets us in on a ground level to train students to a high industry standard. Students come to me for career advice, and I also observe course content and curriculum to make sure what's being taught aligns with industry practices. We want that personal connection, and presence is important."
Planning events never stops for Pearce, who keeps an ever-expanding list of ideas on a whiteboard in his office.
"My goal is to get students in front of industry as much as possible," he said. "If we can get them to network and make connections, we are setting them up for success."
For more information, visit www.sanjac.edu/cpet or call (281) 998-1806.
