On-demand online curriculum offers technical knowledge, professional development hour credits

MIDLAND, Mich. - July 31, 2019 - Dow and the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) are offering "Cable Tech Powered by Dow," a distinct, affordable and convenient online education program for utility cable professionals. The program helps engineers expand their technical knowledge and earn professional development hours (PDH).

An influx of young utility cable professionals have entered the workforce over the past decade as experienced employees have continued to retire; a recent assessment by Dow on the current state of cable engineering at electric utilities and others in the cable value chain determined there is a major ‘changing of the guard' in the utility industry.

"A new generation is taking on more responsibility for cable standards," said Brent Richardson, North America End Use Marketing Manager for Wire & Cable at Dow. "Workforce shifts like this can create knowledge gaps, and ‘Cable Tech Powered by Dow' is designed to address those gaps."

Dow and WPI, through WPI's Corporate and Professional Education, are providing "Cable Tech" to new and established professionals in cable standards engineering roles at investor-owned, municipal and cooperative electric utilities in the United States and Canada. The "Cable Tech" curriculum also targets professionals throughout the value chain at manufacturers, compound makers and testing institutes.

"Cable Tech Powered by Dow" Curriculum

The "Cable Tech" curriculum is built on Dow's experience and network of industry professionals' expertise in the power industry, as well as WPI's leadership in distance learning and electrical engineering. Course instructors are chosen based on their industry experience and their ability to effectively communicate that expertise in an online educational format.

Initial courses are available now, and when the rollout is completed over the next several years, "Cable Tech" will have 10 online course modules taught by experienced industry professionals, available at any time. The modules are split into short, easy-to-follow segments, followed by evaluations to help ensure learning retention.

Dow, an industry leader in cable materials technology and WPI's success as an academic leader in Power Systems Engineering make this collaboration ideal to create a program that fills an industry need by helping engineers grow their skills.

"We worked with Dow to study the power industry and saw that there were few training and education programs for cable standards, and the ones available were often cost prohibitive due to travel accommodations, and the cost of the program itself," said Michael Ahern, Director of Corporate and Professional Education at WPI. "We recognized the opportunity to provide modern workers a convenient, easy-to-use and affordable online program for professional development hours that fits their lifestyles, schedules and budgets."

The "Cable Tech" program helps build technical knowledge about cables and design for all voltage classes, and helps participants play a more significant role in technical discussions and planning. Participants learn about the history of the cable industry and current governing standards, basic cable components, cable design and construction, evaluating alternative designs and cable accessories.

The initial "Cable Tech Powered by Dow" modules are:
• Cable Tech 101: Cable Overview
• Cable Tech 105: Medium Voltage Cable Accessories

Additional modules will be added periodically. Please visit http://go2.wpi.edu/cabletech for more information and to register for updates when new courses are available.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute
WPI, a global leader in project-based learning, is a distinctive, top-tier technological university founded in 1865 on the principle that students learn most effectively by applying the theory learned in the classroom to the practice of solving real-world problems. Recognized by the National Academy of Engineering with the 2016 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education, WPI's pioneering project-based curriculum engages undergraduates in solving important scientific, technological, and societal problems throughout their education and at more than 50 project centers around the world. WPI offers more than 50 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs across 14 academic departments in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts. Its faculty and students pursue groundbreaking research to meet ongoing challenges in health and biotechnology; robotics and the internet of things; advanced materials and manufacturing; cyber, data, and security systems; learning science; and more. www.wpi.edu

About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines one of the broadest technology sets in the industry with asset integration, focused innovation and global scale to achieve profitable growth and become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company. Dow's portfolio of performance materials, industrial intermediates and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for our customers in high-growth segments, such as packaging, infrastructure and consumer care. Dow operates 113 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 37,000 people. Dow delivered pro forma sales of approximately $50 billion in 2018. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or follow @DowNewsroom on Twitter.