Even though spring break went longer than scheduled this year for students at regional vocational-technical training schools, colleges are gearing up for fall semester enrollment. In the oil & gas sector, compressor training schools are focusing on fulfilling employment needs of regional gas producers and pipelines as more skilled technicians are needed to fill labor gaps.
“We are always getting calls from companies looking to hire people,” says Sue Gumble, director of Lackawanna College’s School of Petroleum and Natural Gas. “Every student who attends our school gets an internship and our graduates walk into jobs because of the internships they held the previous summer.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, compression jobs are among the highest-paying occupations available to workers without a college degree. The latest bureau analysis (based on May 2019 data), said the average salary for gas compressor and gas pumping station operators (occupation code 53-7071) was $30.15 per hour and $62,710 per year. That amount is double the average salary of other workers without university diplomas.
An INGAA Foundation report forecasts the industry will build 26,000 miles (41,800 km) of gas pipelines by 2035, requiring $1.6 billion of new compression equipment (not including requirements for production and gathering.) Education, training and certification are of utmost importance.
While many instructors will teach theory portions online, in-person workshops will be arranged to accommodate fewer and more-dispersed students. Panola College School of Energy created a mobile training center by converting a 44-foot, truck-pulled trailer into a classroom with space for equipment and seating for students. Panola’s most popular program is welding.
Easybook Training offers online training and online instructor-led oil & gas safety training courses geared toward new, and seasoned, workers. On a busy worksite in the oil & gas industry, it’s vital that employees understand general safety standards and can perform their duties without causing harm to others. So, before entering the workplace on any assignment, make sure workers are aware of potential hazards, and how best to mitigate them.
Easybook Training can help you find and book the following relevant oil and gas training courses:
- ONLINE Instructor Led H2S Training Course
- ONLINE Instructor-Led PEC Basic Orientation SafeLand
- PEC Basic Orientation SafeGulf
- PEC Basic Orientation SafeLand
- PEC Basic Orientation SafeLand/SafeGulf
