LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA – November 21, 2019
SOWELA Technical Community College named Phillips 66 its 2019 Philanthropic Honoree on Friday, November 15, 2019, at the annual Association of Fundraising Professionals National Philanthropy Day luncheon. The company was recognized due to its valued partnership and generous financial support of both students and the College.
In 2006, Phillips 66, then ConocoPhillips, donated $2 million to SOWELA towards the construction of a new industrial Process Technology building after the campus sustained extensive damage from Hurricane Rita. The Phillips 66 Process Technology Building houses Process Technology, Industrial Instrumentation Technology, and Allied Technical programs. As the demand for qualified skilled workers continues to increase, Phillips 66 had the foresight to invest in a sustainable resource for the future.
Phillips 66 has been an important partner in growing the Process Technology program. The company created a competitive Operator Internship program that is coveted by SOWELA students. The internship provides the opportunity for hands-on experience in a plant, increasing the student’s skillset, and allowing Phillips 66 to share with the College feedback on what additional skills would benefit graduates.
Phillips 66 employees serve on the Industrial Technology Advisory Board, lending real-world experience to program courses. Of Phillips 66’s current operators, 25% are SOWELA Process Technology graduates, indicating that they not only invest in creating a robust program, they hire graduates.
About SOWELA Technical Community College
SOWELA Technical Community College provides traditional, distance, and lifelong learning experiences and awards associate degrees, technical diplomas, and certificates. The College empowers learners in career and technical education and enables transfer students to pursue a four-year degree so all learners excel as globally competitive citizens. The College has been educating the region’s workforce for 80 years and has locations in Jennings, Lake Charles, and Oakdale, LA. For more information, visit www.sowela.edu.