Donation will Purchase a Skid for Hands-on Industrial Training
(Lake Charles, Louisiana) – Officials from SOWELA Technical Community College announced today a $161,000 donation from Houston-based Cheniere Energy and the continuation of a partnership in the form of an apprenticeship program. The donation will be used to complete a working refrigeration skid on SOWELA’s campus that will be used for hands-on training purposes. The additional donation follows Cheniere’s donation in November 2018 of $250,000.
The continuation of the apprenticeship program will begin in January 2020 and eligible students will take what they have learned in SOWELA’s classrooms and apply it to their jobs at Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass Terminal. Students accepted into the apprenticeship program will be involved in the day-to-day processing and instrumentation work at the facility. The apprenticeship will accept 16 students for Process Technology and six students for Instrumentation Technology.
“The partnership between SOWELA and Cheniere is an excellent example of how business and industry can work together to build a workforce and strengthen the economy for Southwest Louisiana. Cheniere has developed a unique and customized apprenticeship program that helps strengthen the student’s classroom experience while providing them an opportunity to gain valuable on-the-job training with the possibility of future employment,” said SOWELA Chancellor Dr. Neil Aspinwall. “Cheniere realizes the critical importance of a skilled and trained workforce and has committed the resources necessary to help SOWELA continue to achieve its mission of being a major workforce developer in Southwest Louisiana.”
Cheniere’s donation to SOWELA is part of its ongoing commitment to supporting STEM initiatives. Since 2017, Cheniere has invested nearly $500,000 towards programs supporting SOWELA activities.
“Southwest Louisiana is set to experience a boom in employment from current and proposed LNG facilities and we are proud to continue our partnership with SOWELA to help create a pathway into this exciting new industry,” said Jane Uebe, Director of Training at Cheniere Energy.
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. For more information visit www.sowela.edu.