The Swagelok Co. recently donated a generous $250,000 toward materials for a glass pilot plant lab, analyzer lab, glycol process unit and naming rights for an instrumentation lab for the upcoming San Jacinto College Center for Petrochemical, Energy, and Technology.
Swagelok Co. is a privately held developer and provider of fluid system products, assemblies, training and services for the oil and gas, chemical and petrochemical, semiconductor, transportation and power industries.
Industry partners like Swagelok have been instrumental in the planning and construction of the 145,000-square-foot center, which will be the largest petrochemical training facility along the Texas Gulf Coast when it opens in fall 2019. Built for industry, by industry, the center will house programs and training labs in process technology, instrumentation and analyzer technology, electrical, nondestructive testing and craft trades. It will feature an 8,000-square-foot exterior glycol process unit to develop troubleshooting skills for entry, advanced credit students and incumbent workers. Additional features will include the newest software programming, equipment and technology, as well as conference, training and assembly spaces.
"We are truly grateful to Swagelok for this donation and the commitment to our mission of producing the very best graduates for the petrochemical industry," said Jim Griffin, associate vice chancellor and senior vice president for the petrochemical training division at San Jacinto College.
Students at the facility will be immersed in an environmental health and safety culture that is built into the curriculum, developed with OSHA-regulated coursework and an emphasis on process safety management. The center will include abundant space to teach credit students and incumbent workers.
San Jacinto College broke ground on the Center for Petrochemical, Energy, and Technology in September 2017. A $60 million investment, the center is funded by a $425 million bond passed in 2015. The project is guided by a Petrochemical Advisory Council, formed by San Jacinto College Chancellor Dr. Brenda Hellyer. In addition to the certificates, associate degree and incumbent worker training the college offers in the aforementioned programs, San Jacinto College is also pursuing the approval and development of a bachelor's of applied technology degree.
For more information about the San Jacinto College Center for Petrochemical, Energy, and Technology, visit www.sanjac.edu/CPET.
