Feb. 6, 2014 -- Polk State College announced the opening of a 47,000-square-foot Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center east of Bartow, Fla. Through donations from Endress+Hauser, TriNova and Rockwell Automation, a new $1 million, state-of-the-art Process Training Unit® (PTU) will be installed to help students and customers gain practical experience in process-plant applications.
The Polk State College PTU will serve as a place for companies seeking workforce training for their employees and customers and for students to utilize as they pursue their degree programs. The technology combines theory and a hands-on approach to provide participants with real-world experience in a safe, working process environment.
The new facility will benefit the community and state as well as the 7,200 students it will serve annually, said Corporate College Director Rob Clance. "Clear Springs is one of just three advanced technology centers in Florida," he said."There are 147 of them in the nation now, and more are expected to be established. It will serve beyond the county lines into the region and be a go-to place for companies seeking to stay on top of the game."
Outfitted to provide students and customers an interactive learning experience with various types of operation, diagnostics and troubleshooting found in process plants, the PTU features the latest Endress+Hauser flow, level, temperature, pressure, and analytical instrumentation. Additionally, it features the PlantPAx process control system donated by Rockwell Automation -- an automation system used in a functioning environment with field devices to train customers for operation and maintenance of process systems. Further, it offers a venue for demonstrations of the companies' automation technology and a regional resource for customers to obtain hands-on training in a controlled environment.
The partnership between the school, manufacturers Endress+Hauser and Rockwell Automation, and the sales and service company TriNova Inc. will help benefit the industry in Central Florida by not only offering learning opportunities for college students but also industrial training for workers from many large companies in the area looking to modernize their processing plants and utilize new technology to develop more efficient operations.
The PTU construction was part of a larger scale project to develop a $14.5 million Advanced Technology Center that will generate a greater trained workforce with higher skills -- all with the hopes of driving employers to the area. The Center will now house not only the new PTU but also high-tech degree programs such as Engineering Technology and Supply Chain Management. The Polk State College PTU is one of seven across the U.S. with as many as five more projects underway to build more training facilities in order to keep up with the heightened demand for workforce training.
See also: "New training facility to offer process automation system instruction in Philly".
About Endress+Hauser
Endress+Hauser is a supplier of measuring devices, services and solutions for industrial process engineering. The company supplies sensors, devices, systems and services for level, flow, pressure and temperature measurement as well as liquid analysis and measured value recording. The company supports its customers with automation, logistical and IT services and solutions. For more information, visit www.us.endress.com.
About Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs about 21,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries. For more informatio, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.
About Polk State College
Polk State College, established in 1964, is a multi-campus institution serving over 20,000 students with Bachelor of Applied Science, Bachelor of Science, Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees, as well as a wide range of certificate and workforce training options. The College also operates three charter high schools. www.polk.edu.
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