It is never too early to begin training the next generation of skilled craftspeople for the future workforce.
Fourth-grade students from the Japanese Language Supplementary School of Houston recently spent a Saturday at the LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy and Technology (CPET) at San Jacinto College (San Jac) to learn more about industry and STEM. The event and day’s activities were sponsored by Kuraray America, Inc..
"As a global leader in specialty chemicals and a member of the Houston community, Kuraray understands the importance of investing and giving our time to benefit students pursuing professions in STEM," said Kuraray America, Inc. President and CEO Takaharu "Tim" Kawahara. "We believe that ‘together we can achieve more.’ Our partnership with San Jacinto College exemplifies our belief that nurturing talent and fostering innovation and mentorship is key not only to the development of our future workforce but also to bettering the local communities where our employees live and work."
The students spent time in four of CPET’s state-of-the-art labs, including the glass distillation lab, the 8,000-square-foot glycol distillation unit, the Emerson Performance Learning Platforms lab and the process equipment lab.
Students explore cutting-edge labs in STEM education initiative
Students from the Japanese Language Supplementary School of Houston listen intently to a Kuraray America, Inc. employee explain how the LyondellBasell Glass Distillation Lab works. Photo by Jeff Pearce.
"At San Jac, we believe in the power of education to shape a better future. This partnership with Kuraray and the Japanese Language Supplementary School not only enhances the learning experience for these students but also strengthens the bonds between our college and the communities we serve," said Jeff Pearce, CPET education and workforce coordinator.
The team from Kuraray exhibited different science experiments using materials manufactured by their company. Kuraray is a world leader in performance-based polymer and specialty materials technologies, including resins, chemicals, fibers and textiles. The company operates many subsidiaries around the world, including Kuraray America, Inc., which is headquartered in Houston.
"Kuraray has partnered with San Jacinto College in various capacities for several years. In addition to participating in key school events like career fairs, we also sponsored the Kuraray Chemistry Lab, which provides hands-on experience for local students," Kawahara said. "We see real impact through our collaboration with San Jacinto College as we work together to maintain our region’s leadership in manufacturing, particularly specialty chemicals. Our team looks forward to opportunities to continue our current collaboration and further educate and inspire the next generation."
In addition to educational outreach and degree programs, CPET also boasts an incumbent worker training program customized for the needs of industry. The goal for incumbent worker training is to offer course packages to industry partners that advance their employees’ skills in specific credit-earning college classes — without having to enroll in a degree program. San Jac instructors, along with educational partners like Kuraray, lead the curriculum for each course.
These courses enable workers to learn alongside enrolled students to earn continuing education credits and hands-on experience.
For more information about the CPET at San Jacinto College, visit San Jacinto College.
