Most system integrators and other sources agree that direct, hands-on experience is the greatest teacher of all about process control and pretty much any other subject. This is because it engages more of the senses, and makes deeper, long-lasting impressions on students, which they’re more likely to retain and reuse more effectively later.

For instance, students get vivid instruction on the glycol distillation unit at LyondellBasell’s Center for Petrochemical Energy & Technology (CPET) at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas. The unit has a 32-ft, eight-tray column, DeltaV distributed control system (DCS), embedded utilities, including cooling water, boiler and reverse osmosis, and 72 I/O with smart Rosemount transmitters (Figure 1).

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“One of the most effective resources we offer has been a laboratory environment that closely reflects what professionals will encounter in industry. Simulation is especially valuable because it gives people the opportunity to work through real operating scenarios, make decisions and see the results in a controlled setting with much lower repercussions,” says James Griffin, senior VP for petrochemical and energy technology at CPET. “However, those labs and simulations must be designed with input from industry professionals. This ensures the training is relevant, practical and connected to the situations people will face on the job. Classroom instruction is important, but process control and automation are fields where people also need the chance to apply what they learned. The more realistic and hands-on the training environment is, the better prepared they’ll be.

“One thing we learned through the engineering bootcamps we offer is that engineers benefit greatly from getting outside the classroom and working through realistic situations. Our curriculum includes hands-on experiences, pilot-scale operations, critical-thinking exercises and troubleshooting scenarios. Those experiences give engineers the opportunity to see how a process behaves, make decisions and work through problems in a setting where they can learn from both successes and mistakes. Troubleshooting is especially important because real operations don’t always follow the textbook.”