A refinery operator is someone who works in a facility that converts raw materials into useful products. The term is most commonly used to describe people who work in the oil industry, but it can also refer to people who work in other industries. If you want to work as a refinery operator, you must first decide what type of refinery you want to work in. One set of qualifications will be required for oil refinery jobs, while other jobs may have different requirements. In most cases, becoming a refinery operator necessitates the completion of a high school education.
After you graduate from high school, you should enroll in an associate’s degree program that will prepare you for a career as a refinery operator. This will usually be required as a minimum level of experience or education in the oil industry, though it may not be required in all cases; it will simply make you a more valuable job candidate. If you want to excel at your job and improve your chances of promotion or advancement, you should consider getting a bachelor’s degree, though this is not always necessary.
In some cases, you can become a refinery operator with only a high school diploma, but you’ll almost certainly need to participate in an apprenticeship program if you go this route. An apprenticeship allows you to start earning money while learning on the job the skills you’ll need. You’ll be supervised and mentored a more experienced refinery operator who can teach you the skills and techniques you’ll need to succeed in the job. The length of such a position varies, but you can expect to work as an apprentice for anywhere from one to five years, depending on the job’s complexity.
Once you’ve been hired as a refinery operator, you can expect to go through ongoing training to ensure you have all of the necessary certifications and safety training to work in a manufacturing environment. Operators may be required to attend periodic re-certification classes or other training sessions their employers; if a new machine is installed in the refinery, operators will be required to attend training focused specifically on the safe and effective operation of that new machine. Some operators are also responsible for machine maintenance and repair, which will necessitate additional training.