Dow employees recruit for PTEC

St. Charles, LA - February 23, 2006

Dow employees at St. Charles Operations recently visited Destrehan High School and Hahnville High School to speak to students interested in the process technology curriculum. The students, who will be eligible for PTEC 101 next year, heard from industry representatives and participated in a “hands-on” job experience, led by representatives of the River Parishes campus and current PTEC students.

Employee Pam Jack told the students the program will provide a “hands-on understanding of what you’ll actually do.” PTEC also provides a solid learning base for other areas of a facility. “Once you get started and get your foot in the door, you have the opportunity to advance to other areas of Dow,” Pam said. “You don’t have to be a genius in science and math. You learn it in the field. You learn how to do your job,” said employee Ronnie Madere.

The starting salary for the position is around $35,000, Dawn Henderson with Career Builders said, which she put into perspective for the students – “That’s more than your teachers make.” The pay is performance-based, Pam added. With overtime and hard work, she said, the pay level can go far beyond that.

The students also heard from local graduates who are enrolled in the PTEC program. “Not only do you leave with an associate degree, you leave with experience,” said Glen Clark, a former student at Destrehan High School. “You have to like what you do.”

PTEC 101, which will be taught at the Satellite Center this year, enables high school seniors to earn three hours of credit toward a two-year associated degree program in process technology. The PTEC degree “will be a requirement” for the position in coming years, said Sonya Davis, Dow Human Resources Leader at St. Charles Operations, and the chemical industry will need upward of 5,000 operators in the future. The curriculum prepares the students to work as process operators in the chemical, oil and gas, power generating and pharmaceutical industries. For more information, go to www.ptec101.com.

Dow is a diversified chemical company that harnesses the power of science and technology to improve living daily. The Company offers a broad range of innovative products and services to customers in more than 175 countries, helping them to provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. Built on a commitment to its principles of sustainability, Dow has annual sales of $46 billion and employs 42,000 people worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted.  St. Charles Operations is owned by Union Carbide Corporation, which is a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company.

	Dow Learning Leader Ronnie Madere speaks to area high school students about the PTEC 101 curriculum.

For Editorial Information:

Jolen T. Stein
St. Charles Operations
(985) 783-4990