In 2003, the Dow Hydrocarbons Technology Center initiated a global program to develop the basic training resources for personnel new to the Dow Hydrocarbons business. The focus of the program was to develop the basic training resources that explained the fundamentals of steam cracking technology and the unit operations used within our steam crackers. The intent was that plants would utilize this resource as a first step in training new personnel before initiating more detailed plant specific training.

The system developed to deliver the training is called the University of Ethylene (UofE). The UofE is a centralized location for ethylene technology information set up by “departments” that cover the fundamentals of our technology. The UofE is easily accessible and available to all employees through the Dow Intranet (internal web). Various subject matter experts within our technology serve as “Department Heads” in the University of Ethylene and are responsible for developing and keeping the material up to date. Periodically, “Department Heads” also develop and deliver one-hour “learning sessions” via teleconference and NetMeeting.

Due to the success of the University of Ethylene, the concept has been expanded to include other technologies within Hydrocarbons such as Butadiene, Aromatics, and Octene. A “Freshman Orientation” class was also initiated last year which is a week long introduction into the technology for new technical personnel.

This paper will explain the University of Ethylene concept in detail, the web based system used to deliver the material, and the Freshman Orientation program.