HCC process tech students qualify for NAPTA championship competition
Apr 13, 2023
The petrochemical industry must rely on highly-trained personnel to keep production processes safe and to respond to incidents that can happen in the manufacturing environment. To prepare graduates for work in the industry, Houston Community College is participating in the North American Process Technology Alliance (NAPTA) Troubleshooting Skills Competition.
An HCC Global Energy Center of Excellence (COE) student process technology team qualified and will compete in the final round of the NAPTA Troubleshooting Skills Championship Competition against teams from across the country on April 21 - 22. The competition evaluates the skills, knowledge, and teamwork of advanced process technology students preparing to graduate. Teams are required to solve complex simulated petrochemical incidents utilizing industry software and will be judged by experienced representatives from the field.
“We are so proud of our students and faculty," said Dr. Michael Edwards, president of HCC Northeast. "Their qualification to participate in the final competition shows that our program offers exemplary training, and our students are prepared with the necessary skills that meet industry standards.”
The goal of the competition is to help future technicians become safer employees, improve critical thinking skills, and expose them to real-world, process scenarios that involve diverse teams troubleshooting issues.
“It is impressive that our team could pass the qualifying round and go to the final step. This is an excellent opportunity for them to meet other students and coaches from different colleges, and gain firsthand simulator practice,” said Dr. Azita Hosseini, team coach and program chair for process technology.
The two-day competition also provides an opportunity for teams to participate in mock interviews, share resumes, and network with top employers in the petrochemical industry. The HCC competing team includes Gavin Gravitt, Daylan Alexander, Desmon Usher and alternate Collin Stroman. The competition will be hosted at the LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy and Technology at San Jacinto College and will culminate with an awards ceremony recognizing the winners.
The Global Energy COE offers associate degrees and certificates in process technology, petroleum engineering technology, and instrumentation and controls engineering technology for work in energy, manufacturing, oil and gas, and other career fields. For more information about programs and course offerings, please visit hccs.edu/globalenergy.