University Communications and Marketing

December 1, 2008

Contacts:

College of Technology, 247-3000
Dan Carter, University Relations, 657-2269

MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES — As Montana continues to refine its energy economy, many job opportunities await. Those opportunities will be showcased at a special open house this week at the MSU Billings College of Technology.

A career information night focusing on the university’s process plant technology and newly created pre-apprenticeship power plant technology program will be held Thursday, Dec. 4 at 5:30 p.m. at the MSU Billings College of Technology’s Technical Trades Building, 3803 Central Ave. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

The event is sponsored by PPL Montana with grant assistance from Energy for Tomorrow. Other supporters and employers who will be present are Wyo-Ben, ConocoPhillips, Cenex Harvest States and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Students and parents can visit the process plant/power plant lab and view some of the state-of-the-art equipment that is used in training the next generation of technicians. They can also visit with award-winning faculty about the small class sizes and job opportunities after graduation.

MSU Billings COT process plant students working on the
new simulator in the process plant technology lab

Process plant and power plant technicians, who assist in operating highly technical processes and procedures in power plants, oil refineries and other plants, will continue to be in high demand, said MSU Billings COT Dean John Cech, mostly because of the rapidly aging workforce. The collaborative nature of the process plant and power plant program helps meet workforce needs not only on an area level, but on a statewide and regional level.

“We’re really excited to work with industry and labor partners to develop this opportunity for power plant and process plant technicians,” Cech said.

The two-year MSU Billings program operates under the guidelines of the Center for the Advancement of Process Technology, CAPT. CAPT is the recognized leader in process plant and power plant curriculum development and delivery. The lab features some of the latest technology in industry training, including computerized systems that allow students to operate simulated plant processes in real time.

“The simulator we have is one of only five in the country that can do that,” Cech said.

Scholarships are available through MSU Billings, CAPT and industrial partnerships. In addition, many students will qualify for summer employment within area industry as they complete their internships.

For more information about the process plant/power plant career information night or the programs, contact the MSU Billings COT at 247-3000 or cotadmissions@msubillings.edu.

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