Hawaiian Electric’s New Hires Are Process Technology Graduates

Leeward Community College program launches careers

WAIAU – As part of the first graduating class from the Process Technology (PTECH) program at Leeward Community College last December, Waikele resident Stewart Silva and classmate Aaron Kanemoto of Aiea, give credit to the program for launching their careers in electricity production at Hawaiian Electric Company.  Though both were initially undecided about their career choices, each took a chance on a startup program at LCC and found their passion in the industrial field.  Today, Silva and Kanemoto are power plant operators at Hawaiian Electric’s Waiau Power Plant and are grateful to put into practice the skills and training gained through the PTECH program. 

So just what is process technology?  It is essentially the heart of all industries that involve the production of consumer goods from raw material.  To make electricity, airplane fuel, gasoline, gas, plastic and glass bottles, pharmaceuticals, and yes, even jelly beans and beer, all involve process technology.   In Hawaii, companies such as Hawaiian Electric, AES, Caltrol, Chevron, H-Power and Tesoro, employ process technicians as part of a key team that plans, analyzes and controls the production of products from raw materials. 

These companies saw a growing need for process technicians and worked closely with LCC to put together a program that would fast track students to earn their certification and prepare them for the workforce in less than 18 months. “We saw the potential in filling critical positions within the company and jumped on board to show our support for a new educational program in the community,” said Joanne Honda of Hawaiian Electric’s Workforce Staffing & Development and a member of the LCC-PTECH Advisory Board.  The program launched quietly in the summer of 2007 with just 12 students including Silva and Kanemoto.

For Silva, a Mililani High School graduate, the PTECH program offered a fresh start after several stints in administrative positions.  “It seemed interesting and it was totally new as no other school on the island offered such a program,” he said.   Kanemoto, an Aiea High School graduate, was working in retail when he read about the PTECH program and decided to go back to school. 

The academic pathway to a PTECH certification involved taking general education classes as well as a variety of courses that covered everything from systems, operations and troubleshooting to safety, health and the environment.  Employees from Hawaiian Electric also helped to serve as instructors, taking course materials heavily weighted in the refinery process and translating it to the electricity production environment. 

The curriculum also included a four-day externship and power plant tour of the utility’s Waiau facility. “We weren’t just sitting around with a book. We would have hands-on classes to understand real world applications which prepared us for an industrial environment,” said Silva.  Kanemoto agreed, “The PTECH classes prepared me for the job.  I learned that this position is for people who like to work independently and troubleshoot problems.”

Both Silva and Kanemoto said the Waiau power plant tour whetted their interests to some day work for Hawaiian Electric.  “To see the students become excited to be in the power plant, even at 5 a.m., is really the reward,” said Honda.  “The benefit for Hawaiian Electric is to find people who are interested and understand the job expectations before they actually join the company.  These (PTECH) students come in with a stronger base of knowledge than if they hadn’t gone through the PTECH course.”

“The PTECH program allows Hawaii to try and fill the need for trained process technicians that will help lower turnover rates because the people coming in understand the field before they commit,” said Rick Ravelo, occupational health & safety specialist at Hawaiian Electric and a PTECH course instructor.  “This results in more knowledgeable operators who stay in the position longer, and that equates to better operations, better environmental compliance and a safer plant.”

Just a month after graduation, Silva became the first PTECH graduated hired by Hawaiian Electric while Kanemoto joined the company in May.  Their classmates also found jobs at Chevron, H-
Power and Tesoro.  Once hired, the hardest part was adjusting to the demands of shift work necessary to staff 24/7, 365 days a year operations.  “I won’t lie, the shift work was hard at first, but you get used to it,” smiled Silva.  Kanemoto added ruefully, “Getting used to sleeping during the day and working at night was a major adjustment.”  At the same time, he noted that there are benefits to having week days off to do activities when it’s not so crowded at the bank or the beach.

“This job is more than I expected,” said Kanemoto.  “In the beginning it was overwhelming but the people around really help.  My coworkers really make the job better, and you have to like the people you work with.”  After nearly 6 months on the job he is more conscious of his own energy use and turns off the television or the lights when he leaves a room.

“I was happy when I found out I got the job, and now I’m really grateful to have a job in this economy,” said Silva.  Though he had intended to pursue entomology (study of bugs), Silva has found a similarity with electricity production. “A bug looks so simple just like electricity seems so simple to make, but the processes involved with each are so much more complex.”  For Silva, being able to work at Hawaiian Electric allowed him to put to use the skills and lessons he learned while in the PTECH program.  “This has truly been an enriching experience.”

For more information on the Leeward Community College Process Technology program, visit 
http://www.ocewd.org/ and click on Process Technology (under Industry and Safety).

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