Hitachi Energy South Boston continued to strengthen its partnership with the Southern VA Higher Education Center (SVHEC) with the donation of a control panel to SVHEC’s Workforce Development division. SVHEC’s workforce staff will use the donated equipment to develop and deliver hands-on workforce training that is customized to the specific needs of Hitachi Energy.
“Donating the control cabinet to the SVHEC is another way we support our partnership with the SVHEC and contribute to the learning and development of our workforce,” said Denise Chaves, Hitachi Energy Value Stream Manager.
Waverly Morris, Hitachi Energy Senior Mechanical Designer, added, “The control cabinet will be used to provide realistic training and hands-on practices on components used in our manufacturing process. This approach will help our employees get familiar with our products as they gain the confidence needed to build technical and soft skills.”
A control panel serves as the “brains” of a transformer by housing the peripheral devices that communicate with the transformer and monitor its health. During training, SVHEC staff will use the control cabinet to teach core concepts including transformer controls, crimping, connections, and routing wire harnesses. Hitachi Energy employees will gain real-world, hands-on, experience identifying and installing control devices (breakers, relays, electronic devices, etc.,) using the same equipment they will encounter in the workplace.
Both Chaves and Morris agreed that the skills learned during control panel training at the SVHEC will be essential to employee’s success in their careers, and will support Hitachi Energy’s growth and continued journey of exceeding customer expectations by providing world class power transformers.
Dr. Nettie Simon-Owens, SVHEC Chief Workforce Development Officer, stated, “Hitachi Energy’s extremely generous donation of this control panel is a tremendous addition to the SVHEC’s assets. We are thrilled to receive this equipment and are working with Hitachi Energy leadership now to develop and soon deliver customized training for their employees.”
She continued by thanking Geoff Vaughan, SVHEC’s Welding Program Leader, for his design, build, and installation of a support structure for the control cabinet. This structure allowed the control cabinet to be safely secured for training purposes, and will allow the cabinet to be moved when needed.
Hitachi Energy’s equipment donation and leadership staff’s ongoing collaboration ensure SVHEC will develop relevant training resulting in skill development that employees can quickly transfer to the workplace.
For more information on SVHEC’s customized workforce training offerings email or call 434-572-5475.