About the Center

The Center for the Advancement of Process Technology (CAPT) supports the development of a highly skilled, educated and diverse process technician workforce for the chemical manufacturing, refining, oil and gas production, and pharmaceutical manufacturing industry sectors. To accomplish this, CAPT focuses on three models: one for pre-hire education in process technology (PTEC), one for new hire training, and one for incumbent training.

The Center is a national collaboration between education and industry in eight partner alliances in its commitment to process technology education: Alaska Process Industry Careers Consortium, Gulf Coast Process Technology Alliance, Greater New Jersey Process Technology Alliance, Louisiana Process Technology Alliance, Great Lakes Process Technology Alliance, North West Process Technology Alliance, Rockies Alliance for Process Technology, and Southern California Chemical Technology Alliance.

The Alliance Partnerships have a vision…PTEC™ education…It’s a force that’s working.

CAPT pursues five primary goals:

1. Develop curricula and instructional materials that support process technology education.
2. Provide professional development opportunities for faculty who prepare students for careers in the process industries.
3. Support program development and improvement to serve student and industry needs.
4. Establish and foster partnerships linking industry, education, and government to advance process technology education.
5. Provide for the organizational and fiscal development of CAPT to assure its health and sustainability.

A Brief History

In 2002, CAPT was designated an NSF ATE National Center of Excellence for Process Technology Education and awarded a three-year grant for $3,000,000. With this grant CAPT is committed to form a self-sustaining national alliance of two-year colleges working in collaboration with process-related businesses and industries, education, professional associations, and government to prepare a quality 21st century technical workforce that drives the operations for the major energy, chemical, and oil and gas producers.