Process Technology graduates transition quickly into industrial field

EWA—As the holiday season begins, two graduates from Leeward Community College (LCC) look back to a year ago, thankful for being a part of the first graduating class from the Process Technology (PTECH) program.

Classmates Stewart Silva and Aaron Kanemoto started off at LCC with undecided majors, but decided to take a chance on a new start-up program, which eventually led them to find their passion in the industrial field. Silva and Kanemoto are now power plant operators at Hawaiian Electric’s Waiau Power Plant.

“It seemed interesting and it was totally new as no other school on the island offered such a program,” said Silva, a Mililani High School graduate and Waikele resident. 

Process technology is the core of all industries that involve the production of consumer goods from raw materials including electricity, gasoline, plastic, and gas. Many companies like Hawaiian Electric saw the growing need for process technicians and joined with LCC to form a program that would allow students to earn certification and prepare them for a career in less than 18 months. PTECH launched its first classes in the summer of 2007 with just 12 students enrolled.

PTECH students take general education classes as well as a variety of courses that cover everything from systems operations to safety, health, and the environment. Employees from Hawaiian Electric also help serve as instructors, taking course materials heavily weighted in the refinery process and translating it to the electricity production environment. 

“The PTECH program allows Hawaii to try and fill the need for trained process technicians that will help lower turnover rates because the people coming in understand the field before they commit,” said Rick Ravelo, an occupational health & safety specialist at Hawaiian Electric and PTECH instructor. “This results in more knowledgeable operators who stay in the position longer, and that equates to better operations, better environmental compliance, and a safer plant.”

Silva saw the LCC program as a fresh start for him after holding several jobs in administration. As for Kanemoto, an Aiea High School graduate and Aiea resident, the decision to pursue a path in process technology came after leaving his job in retail behind. Part of the PTECH program that pushed Kanemoto and Silva’s interests to work for HECO was a four-day externship and power plant tour of HECO’s Waiau facility.

Joanne Honda of Hawaiian Electric’s Workforce Staffing and Development, and member of the LCC-PTECH Advisory Board, said in a statement, “The benefit for Hawaiian Electric is to find people who are interested and understand the job expectations before they actually join the company. These [PTECH] students come in with a stronger base of knowledge than if they hadn’t gone through the PTECH course.”

Just a month after graduation in December, Silva was the first PTECH graduate hired by Hawaiian Electric while Kanemoto joined the company a few months later in May. Their classmates were able to find jobs with Chevron, HPower, and Tesoro. For Silva, working at Hawaiian Electric allowed him to use the skills and lessons he learned while in the PTECH program. 

“This has truly been an enriching experience,” Silva said.