Upgrades to LNG Hands-on Training Unit, Apprenticeships and Curriculum Enhancements
Lake Charles, Louisiana – Monday, July 22, 2024
SOWELA Technical Community College is pleased to announce a significant $309,000 donation from Cheniere Energy to bolster its established industrial programs. This generous contribution, allocated for the 2023-2024 academic year, has facilitated the christening of the College’s Process Technology outdoor training area as the “Cheniere Hands-on Training Pavilion,” which now houses state-of-the-art LNG Training Unit and Hands-on Training Skid.
“SOWELA’s success can be directly attributed to the strength of the partnerships we have established with the business and industries in the SWLA region,” said SOWELA Chancellor Dr. Neil Aspinwall. “With the critical and growing importance of the LNG industry, SOWELA is very fortunate to have Cheniere as a partner who consistently invests in our programs and students. The strategic investments Cheniere has made in SOWELA has enabled the College to provide more advanced equipment, training and employment opportunities for our students.”
The “Cheniere Hands-on Training Pavilion” provides a realistic simulation of starting and shutting down a working plant, offering students a safe and practical training environment to learn LNG, petrochemical, and other product operations, including verifying flow rate and starting/stopping processing. This training pavilion empowers students to enter the industrial industry well-prepared upon graduation.
“We are honored to continue our long-standing partnership with SOWELA by investing over $300,000 to support their industry programs.” said Chad Dearien, Cheniere Training Manager and SOWELA Alum. “SOWELA’s programs are essential for preparing individuals for the workforce and has truly made a difference in the lives of so many in Southwest Louisiana.”
On average, industrial plants hire four process operators for every engineer, making SOWELA an essential part of the workforce and economic development. Cheniere’s financial support will ensure well-trained process technicians are available to fill a growing number of energy industry jobs and provide specific operator training in South Louisiana and surrounding areas.
In addition, a portion of the funding supports apprenticeship programs in various career pathways, such as Chemical Laboratory Technology, Industrial Electrical, Industrial Instrumentation, Machine Tool, and Process Technology.
“The knowledge I gained at SOWELA along with the hands-on training in the apprenticeship program has prepared me to excel in my career,” said Leylani Jourdan, a SOWELA Process Technology and Cheniere Apprenticeship Graduate. “Not only did I attain valuable skills needed for my job, I also gained confidence in my own abilities. These programs have provided me with a solid foundation to achieve my career goals.”
In response to an emerging industry trend, SOWELA used dollars to purchase tablets and software for controlling plant instruments through Bluetooth technology. Students will now be able to navigate around SOWELA’s industrial labs and use the tablets to control various instruments and parts of the process, a skill that will be directly applicable to their work in plant operations.
Since 2019, SOWELA has been designated the “Industrial, Process and LNG Technology Center for Workforce Excellence” by the Louisiana Board of Regents, of which its industrial programs are a part.
Enrollment Information
SOWELA is enrolling in all 30-plus programs for Fall 2024, with classes starting Monday, August 12. Scholarships and financial aid are available for those who qualify. For more information or to apply, visit www.sowela.edu/apply/ or contact the One Stop Enrollment Office at (337) 421-6550 or onestop@sowela.edu.
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 more than 85 years.