West Virginia (Oct. 15, 2015) – BridgeValley Community and Technical College in West Virginia celebrated the opening of a Process Training Unit (PTU) made possible by contributions from Endress+Hauser, BridgeValley and Rockwell Automation. BridgeValley will be the new home to a $1 million, 1,800 square-foot, state-of-the-art PTU.
“By working alongside BridgeValley and other universities, Endress+Hauser can help secure the talent pipeline and better prepare our next-generation workforce for successful careers in the field of process control and automation,” said Brandyn Ferguson, vice president of Human Resources at Endress+Hauser. “The innovative approach we have taken at BridgeValley is truly unique to the industry.”
The BridgeValley PTU will serve as a go-to place for companies who are seeking workforce training for their employees and customers and for students to use as they pursue their degree programs.
The PTU is outfitted to help students and customers gain hands-on experience with the types of operation, diagnostics and troubleshooting found in real-life process plants. It features the latest Endress+Hauser flow, level, temperature, pressure and analytical instrumentation, two 350-gallon tanks, and the PlantPAx process control system donated by Rockwell Automation. The PlantPAx process automation system will be used in a functioning environment with field devices to train customers for operation and maintenance of process systems. It also provides a venue for demonstrations of Endress+Hauser and Rockwell Automation technology and a regional resource for customers to obtain hands-on training in a controlled environment.
“A key aspect of our role in the community is to partner with industry leaders to provide technical education necessary to keep our companies competitive and jobs in West Virginia,” said Dr. Jo Harris, BridgeValley President. “Our collaboration with Endress+Hauser and Rockwell Automation allows students and local companies to receive real-world experience in a controlled learning environment.”
The BridgeValley PTU is one of ten across the U.S. built to help keep up with the heightened demand for workforce training.
Endress+Hauser manufactures measurement instrumentation, services and solutions for industrial process engineering. Rockwell Automation, Inc. is dedicated to industrial automation and information.