What’s a Chemical Process Operator and why is it a hot field right now?

All those recent graduations have launched thousands of young adults into the worlds of higher learning and new jobs. But many are still wondering what they want to be when they grow up.
Chemical Process Operator is probably not a career that jumps to mind for students at any age, but it’s an industry with a high demand for skilled employees in Delaware, says Robert Weis of Delaware Technical Community College.
Pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals and synthetics are Delaware’s primary manufacturing industries, and our mid-Atlantic location — with the Port of Wilmington and access to rail, air and highway transportation — is just one reason manufacturing is big in the state. And, as technology evolves, the need for well-trained skilled employees continues to grow.
Weis is the coordinator for the Chemical Process Operator Program at DTCC, with over 20 years of academic experience in developing and implementing curricula and courses for employees of the chemical, pharmaceutical, polymer and petroleum refining industries. A graduate of Purdue University and a veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard, he has extensive industrial experience. We asked Weis about the DTCC Chemical Process Operator program — and why people looking to continue their education or change careers might want to consider it.

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Technical.ly Delaware: Tell us about the Chemical Process Operator Program at DTCC. 
Robert Weis: The program prepares highly skilled and knowledgeable students to gain employment as process technicians in the chemical, pharmaceutical, polymer and petroleum refining industries.
Certificate, diploma and associate’s degree options are offered so that students can build their educational credentials as they work in the field. The program has five high-tech instructional laboratories that provide extensive hands-on experience for our students.
TD: What do students go on to do after finishing the two-year program?
RW: Our students gain employment at over 20 companies throughout the Delaware Valley who are looking for trained process technicians to operate equipment for the production of industrial and consumer products. They also may choose to continue their education in fields like engineering or chemistry.
TD: What is the employment rate for graduates? Are these jobs going to continue to be needed?
RW: Our students are in high demand with local industry. A full 96 percent of Delaware Tech graduates go on to work or continue their education, and this holds true for our Chemical Process Operator students. Many of our students even gain employment from internship opportunities they took part in during the program.
TD: What is the best thing to know about this industry?
A two-year college degree can lead to a career with an entry salary between $50,000 to $60,000 a year with the potential in some industries of earning between $70,000 and $80,000 a year after three years of experience.