Kilgore College partners with Eastman, process industry to give
students head start on hot career.
“Very attractive.”
 That’s how 18-year-old recent Longview High School graduate Justin Flowers describes the $40,000-plus annual income that awaits him once he completes his two-year associate degree in process technology.
And that figure will jump to $55-60,000 per year once he finishes his first two-to-three years on the job.
“It pays very well, the field is losing people because of retirement, there aren’t enough workers to fill those positions because it’s an unknown career, you can advance fast, and I enjoy working with computers and my hands” Flowers said. “I feel that getting this degree will create more opportunities and make life easier, quicker.”
A process technician monitors and controls mechanical, physical and chemical changes throughout many processes, turning out a final product made from raw materials. And these products can be found everywhere.
From aspirin and antihistamines to shoes and sunglasses, they literally span the globe affecting all walks of life. Candles, cosmetics, DVDs, electricity, footballs, fuel, paper, plywood, tires and toothpaste all rank among the commodities manufactured by process technicians.
That is a long list of everyday products whose existence rests solely on the methods employed by process technicians. Translation – job security.
Big money
Then there’s the money.
“Students who receive a process technology degree will have jobs with base pay rates of about $55,000 per year, shortly after finishing college,” said Oscar Polk, operations recruiting coordinator for Eastman Chemical Company. “It is not uncommon for some graduates to earn more than $100,000 annually, including overtime, after spending several years with a company.”
And that salary can be obtained sooner than one may think.
Partnering with several community colleges across the U.S., the process industry has paved a relatively short two-year path, heavy in math and science courses, toward success. Classes taught by certified instructors put students on the fast track to obtaining their associates degree in process technology in only two years, many times gaining first-hand experience through job shadowing and co-op programs.
The numbers don’t lie
And if that still isn’t enough to convince students to investigate this career path, workforce numbers don’t lie.
A shortage of process technicians already exists within the chemical, oil and gas exploration and production, and power generation industries with no immediate relief in sight. According to U.S. Department of Labor researchers, an abnormally high number of retirements are projected over the next 10 years.
The chemical sector, which employed 650,000 process technicians in 1998, is projected to incur a 50-80 percent retirement rate over the next seven-to-10 years, according to a Gulf Coast Process Technology Alliance survey.
Eighty percent of the nation’s manufacturers which oversee the production of agricultural chemicals, allied products, cleaning preparations, industrial organic and inorganic chemicals, paints, plastics and synthetics, experienced a moderate-to-serious shortage of qualified job applicants.
Instead of lofty retirement numbers, a projected increase in oil production and lack of skilled workers is anticipated to hamper the oil and gas exploration and production sector. Employing 150,000 production jobs in 1998, that number could potentially need to rise by 200 employees annually to keep up with the spike in oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, according to numbers gathered by BP Global, the world’s second-largest oil company.
According to the Center for the Advancement of Process Technology, oil production in the Gulf has risen 50 percent in eight years and gas production is currently operating at a depth of 7,000 feet. Deepwater oil production has increased more than 50 percent since 1985 and gas production has made a 20-percent leap. And following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, skilled professionals will be needed even more.
Process technicians will be in demand more than ever in the coming years and since the position has become much more complex – requiring more knowledge and skills in computing, teamwork, problem-solving, regulatory compliance and troubleshooting – fewer qualified workers are available.
And while operating plants across the country have not declared a full-scale emergency, companies like Eastman are doing all they can to cultivate highly qualified workers possessing the skills and knowledge required to perform this job successfully.
Preventative maintenance
Process technicians will be in demand more than ever in the coming years and since the position has become much more complex – requiring more knowledge and skills in computing, teamwork, problem-solving, regulatory compliance and troubleshooting – fewer qualified workers are available. In addition, all process industries desire a diverse workforce so underrepresented groups like females and minorities are being heavily recruited.
And while operating plants across the country have not declared a full-scale emergency, companies like Eastman are doing all they can to cultivate highly qualified and diverse workers possessing the skills and knowledge required to perform this job successfully.
“Our company recognized the need to be proactive in ensuring that we had acceptable candidates to become our workforce of the future,” Polk said. “In total, all of the Process Technology graduates in colleges across the U.S. would not be able to supply the nation’s need for qualified candidates. Therefore, we are dealing with a pipeline issue.”
Eastman decided the best way to get students into the pipeline was by educating high school and younger students about the career field. In the summer of 2004 they piloted a program with three Longview High School students. Its success led to ten more students being added in 2005 and this summer’s program should also include ten.
Past summer participants have included students from Gilmer, Kilgore, Hallsville, Longview, Pine Tree, Tatum and Union Grove. The students, who must receive recommendation from their high school principal or counselor, are granted the opportunity to receive an Eastman scholarship to go toward their two-year degree in fields such as process technology, industrial maintenance and instrumentation.
Kilgore partners up with the industry
Part of Eastman's strategy is shared by companies nationwide.
Process industry players from across the country have approached Kilgore seeking to venture into partnerships that will benefit students, educators and the engineering industry.
Together, the entities are working to fabricate a program that will utilize KC recruiting tools to attract quality high school graduates adept at both math and science into the college’s newly created Process Operations Technology program.
The undertaking aims to churn out the type of highly-trained students both the process industry and Eastman Chemical Company can develop into top-notch employees. The reward for students will be a well-paying job in what is projected to be one of the hottest career fields in the country.
“We applaud Kilgore College for its aggressive efforts in implementing a Process Operations Technology program,” Polk said. “The progress to date in establishing the program is truly outstanding. We look forward to strengthening and maintaining a mutually beneficial partnership.”
Process Engineering Fact Sheet
What is Process Engineering?
Process Engineering is an environment of teams of people responsible for planning, analyzing, and controlling the production of products from the acquisition of raw materials through the production and distribution of products to customers in a variety of process industries. These industries include, but are not limited to, chemical, food and beverage, oil exploration and production, pharmaceuticals, power generation, pulp and paper, refining and wastewater treatment.
What do graduates of the program do?
A process technician monitors and controls mechanical, physical and chemical changes throughout many processes to produce a final product made from raw materials. Duties include maintaining a safe work environment, controlling, monitoring and troubleshooting equipment in processes, and analyzing, maintaining and communicating data obtained through the use of technology.
What kind of salary can graduates expect?
Employees in the process industry are generally rewarded for job excellence through salary increases and promotions. Your financial package usually includes health and dental insurance, profit sharing and retirement plans. The national average entry-level salary is $40,000-plus annually, according to the Center for the Advancement of Process Technology.
What is the job outlook for graduates?
Excellent. Process technicians will be in demand more than ever in the coming years. A shortage of process technicians currently exists within the chemical, oil and gas exploration and production and power generation industries and future projections do not offer relief. Compounding the problem is the abnormally high number of retirements projected over the next ten years.
How long does it take to complete the program?
The program will take two years to obtain an associates degree.
Kilgore College Process Technology Program has met the prescribed requirements of the high standards and goals for excellence and recognized as an “Endorsed College” by the Gulf Coast Process Technology Alliance (GCPTA).
Kilgore College Process Technology Program has been recognized as having a “Validated Partnership” with Eastman Chemical Company Texas Operations.
Dewey Greer
Process Technology Instructor
Phone: (903) 988-7414
Fax: (903) 984-8175
Email: dgreer@kilgore.edu
Location: M. Kenneth Whitten Applied Technology Center (AT)
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