Since 2001, Chevron has sponsored Politeknik Caltex Riau, the province's first polytechnic university. More than 880 students have graduated, and about 85 percent found jobs within three months of graduation.
Following the 2004 tsunami, more than 300 students from Aceh completed a three-month program at the polytechnic, studying construction, electrical installation and computers—obtaining skills that would help them rebuild their communities. About 80 percent of these graduates are now employed in Aceh, and several started their own businesses, employing others.
In September 2008—through a partnership between Chevron, the governments of Aceh and Nias, and the U.S. Agency for International Development—a second polytechnic opened its doors, offering courses in disciplines essential to industry, such as electronics engineering, robotics and information technology. Currently, Politeknik Aceh has 580 students. The first class will graduate in 2011.
Updated: May 2011