DUBOIS – In an effort to better prepare members of the local workforce for job opportunities in the Marcellus Shale Industry, Penn State DuBois has partnered with the Marcellus Shale Education and Training Center (MSETC) at the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport. The MSETC is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania College of Technology and the Penn State Extension, designed to provide a wide variety of resources to the community and the oil and gas industry.
“As an affiliate of the Marcellus Shale Education and Training Center, Penn State DuBois acquires expanded curriculum and instructional capability needed to train and educate existing employees of gas companies, and those who want to enter the natural gas industry,” said assistant director of Continuing Education at Penn State DuBois, John Blasdell. He explained that students who enroll for Marcellus Shale training programs at Penn State DuBois will have access to a wide range of resources offered at MSETC, which addresses a multitude of training and education needs of the natural gas industry.
“We feel these courses will complement the other successful industry programs offered at Penn State DuBois,” said Larry Michael, assistant vice president for Workforce Development and Special Projects at Pennsylvania College of Technology. “Our Marcellus Shale Education & Training Center (MSETC) has trained in excess of 3,500 students over the past eighteen months and our MSETC Affiliate Program is expanding throughout the region to help meet the demand.”
That demand, Michael said, is the demand for trained workers to support the various occupations associated with the development of Pennsylvania’s natural gas resources. According to MSETC studies, each well requires a workforce of approximately 420 individuals working across 150 different occupations.
Some of the initial programs available at Penn State DuBois through the MSETC include training for Onshore Rigging and Hoisting, SafeLandUSA, Hazard Recognition, Natural Gas Measurement, and Roustabout. “As the demand for natural gas training programs continues to grow across the Appalachian Basin, Penn College is excited about our opportunity to expand with that demand,” Michael said.
“The MSETC has a strong reputation throughout the Commonwealth in serving the workforce development needs of this quickly expanding industry,” said Blasdell. “Penn State DuBois is proud to have this affiliation.”
Steve Harmic, Penn State DuBois
