A cross-campus collaboration at West Virginia University is helping a local business train and retain employees, strengthening the expertise of the company’s workforce.

Addivant’s 27 employees earned a customized professional certificate for chemical operators after completing curriculum that included math and science skills, the chemical process, process integrity and regulatory and safety practices. Addivant, an innovator in the field of polymer additives, is recognized industry-wide for its extensive portfolio of specialty additives, including antioxidants, light stabilizers, rubber additives and more.

The program was administered by the West Virginia University College of Business and Economics Center for Executive Education with Instruction provided by the Statler College’s Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering.

The WVU Center for Executive Education is committed to responding to the workforce training needs of West Virginia by helping provide employees with the skills they need to advance and be successful, as well as providing them with the understanding of what they do.

“We are proud of our partnership with Addivant and hope to continue assisting them and other state businesses in fulfilling their commitment to the professional development of their employees,” said Martina Bison-Huckaby, the Center’s director. “This program also allowed us to further strengthen our partnership with the WVU’s Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, thus fostering future collaboration.”

WVU’s training will help ensure the integrity of Addivant’s products, said Jon Kimmel, company Operations Director for the Americas.

“Addivant is investing in West Virginia by investing in our employees”, Kimmel said. “The training provided by WVU educates our own employees and provides the needed workforce skills for a growing industry in the state.”

The program was partially funded by the West Virginia Department of Commerce through the Governor’s Guaranteed Work Force Program.