ShaleNET | SkillsCommons Support

Building a Sustainable Workforce Development in the Oil and Gas Industry

The shale gas revolution in the United States has opened thousands of new jobs for workers across the gas value chain at the point of extraction, processing and sale—upstream, midstream, and downstream (1). With support from a TAACCCT grant, ShaleNET—a consortium led by Westmoreland County Community College—launched, creating an entry-level training program for high-demand upstream occupations. By the close of the first ShaleNET grant in 2013, the program had trained and helped over 3,400 students find employment (2). ShaleNET received a second grant through the TAACCCT program, this time focused on training students for midstream and downstream jobs. Employers were heavily engaged in providing WBL opportunities throughout the ShaleNET program, providing tours and internship opportunities. In fact, several of the ShaleNET programs required students to complete internships. At Navarro Community College, students in internships were required to submit lab reports about their internship experiences on a biweekly basis, with worksite supervisors assessing their skills and progress (3).

To date, over 50 companies have employed ShaleNET participants (4). ShaleNET was recognized with the Energy Leadership Award in Workforce Development at an annual energy awards ceremony sponsored by the Pittsburg Business Times (5).

Within a year, through ShaleNET, I changed careers and got a job that I consider one of the best. In landscaping I felt the ceiling, but in oil and gas, the opportunities are limitless!

—Matt Hutchison, ShaleNET participant at Stark State College