FCCTI hopes to bring ‘roustabout’ program to high school students
Roustabout: a laborer on an oil rig or casual laborer in the oil and gas industry.
Area secondary and higher education leaders are joining forces to prepare workers in the region for what they call sustainable jobs.
Dr. Edward Jeffreys, executive director of the Fayette County Career and Technical Center, along with Dr. Patrick Gerity, executive director of the public safety and homeland security at Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC), Dr. Jane Heiple, director of ShaleNet WCCC, Lea Pizzutelli, career coach ShaleNet WCCC, and Wanda Anker, adult education manager, FCCTI, met recently to discuss expansion of a training program which introduces job seekers to the roustabout careers in the Marcellus shale industry.
Through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, WCCC has funded the ShaleNet program which offers training for job careers in the gas and oil industry. The curriculum that WCCC and ShaleNet are using gives an overview of the industry using the seven areas of gas-exploration, production, gathering, processing, transmission, storage and distribution. Related roustabout and welding programs have been offered at FCCTI through its adult education classes but Jeffreys is anxious to expand it to the high school curriculum at the vocational school.
“The adult education program together with the help of (ShaleNet) WCCC caused an ‘a-ha’ moment,” Jeffreys said. “Trying to help students understand the importance of this industry to the economic future, we are proposing a (sophomore-senior) program for accreditation to introduce them to the shale gas industry.”
Heipe said her group is currently working to develop an online format for students which may help fill a void.
Jeffreys said he would like to collaborate with ShaleNet to offer a hands-on introductory seminar.
“The vision is the student who doesn’t go here to come here and learn about the Marcellus shale industry,” he said.
Gerrity said WCCC will be opening a work training center in the former Sony plant in East Huntingdon Township in the coming months.
“We want to have a relationship with you so your students can have the opportunity to utilize the center.”
The 72,000 square feet center will train students for technical and skilled labor jobs.
“We need to do things differently in education. I believe this kind of collaboration is beneficial for our county,” said Jeffreys.
According to Jeffreys drilling and natural gas companies like Chesapeake and Range Resources are in need of skilled labor and it would be beneficial for the school to give the companies good, loyal, dedicated workforce.
Heiple and Gerity said there is a misconception about the local rate of employment by natural gas companies.
Gerity explained when the Marcellus drilling began in the region 70 percent of those employed were from areas like Oklahoma and Texas and 30 percent were from Fay-West region.
“Today those numbers are reversed,” said Gerity.
Following an introductory session for high school students, Jeffreys is hopeful with the help of ShaleNet and WCCC, a training program can be developed to help supply a regional workforce for the oil and gas industry.
Jeffreys said the Joint Operating Committee at the school has the vision and supports the perspective gas and oil related programs.
He feels the economic impact would have a multiplier effect and last for years to come in the form of jobs.