Emerson has helped design, equip and provide training tools for San Jacinto College’s new Center for Petrochemical, Energy, and Technology (CPET). The new 151,000-square-foot complex is the largest petrochemical training facility along the Texas Gulf Coast.

The industry estimates it will need to replace as many as 40% of its current workers due to retirementsover the next decade, according to the Texas Gulf Coast Community College Petrochemical Initiative. The CPET expands the college’s capabilities to develop and train for petrochemical manufacturing areas.

San Jacinto College, with four campuses located throughout East Harris County, has served as a training leader for the petrochemical, energy and technology workforce in the greater Houston area for more than 50 years. The community college serves approximate-ly 45,000 students each semester and is a training hub to the largest petrochemical man-ufacturing complex in the United States, and second largest in the world (with 90 indus-tries and 130 plants).

“Emerson is committed to working alongside San Jacinto College to support innovative so-lutions that will help meet the workforce needs of the petrochemical and energy indus-tries,” said Marcelo Carugo, VP of global refining and chemical programs for Emerson’s Automation Solutions business. “By partnering with community colleges and universities across the globe, Emerson can clearly help solve one of the biggest challenges facing the industrial sectors and manufacturing industry: developing and retaining skilled talent.”

The CPET is supported and equipped by Emerson and local impact partner Puffer-Sweiven and features an 8,000-square-foot exterior glycol process unit to develop trou-bleshooting skills for students and incumbent workers.