Two Operator Trainees with Training Supervisor Kevin Wold (right)

On March 26, eighteen new Operations Trainees graduated from the refinery’s seven-week Basic Operator Training (BOT) course that prepares them for their jobs. The employees were chosen after completing a rigorous hiring process and passing individual testing, group exercises, structured interviews, and agility testing. They scored in the top two percent of the pool of nearly 1,000 applicants.

BOT features a combination of classroom and hands-on instruction to prepare the new Operators for their unit and area assignments. Each new employee completed 200 hours of classroom and field training, which included learning about working safely and our processes, procedures, and equipment.

Refinery subject matter experts from Torrance and other PBF refineries were joined by knowledgeable and seasoned retirees to lead the students through dynamic and interactive training sessions, under the direction of Training Supervisor Kevin Wold.

BOT represents a fraction of the overall training each Operator will receive before he or she is assigned to a unit job post. They will all undergo an additional six to 24 weeks of unit-specific training at their assigned units or areas.

The BOT class includes Anthony Huang and Leo Zamora, both of whom graduated from the South Bay Center for Counseling’s (SBCC) Don Knabe Energy Pathways Program (EPP), where they received their process technical (PTECH) education.

“I am excited to be working at the Torrance Refinery,” said Leo Zamora. “Through our training, I have seen first-hand the safety systems and equipment the refinery has in place and experienced how safety really is always first in every task. I look forward to starting my job and hope to enjoy a long career as a refinery employee.”

To learn more about SBCC Thrive L.A. and its EPP program, click here.