American Gas - July 2013 - (Page 29)

Industry-Specific Programs “A Missing Generation” While there are job openings at every level, Faraguna’s firm focuses largely on filling mid- to senior-level positions, looking for people with solid experience and specialized industry knowledge. “Where the shortage really is hitting is in the area of people with 10, 15, 20 years of experience,” Faraguna says. “There’s something of a missing generation here, and it’s kind of biting us right now.” The 2013 Oil and Gas Global Salary Guide reports that 24.8 percent of workers have more than 20 years of experience and 23.5 percent have between 10 and 19 years chiP simons Recognizing that the industry has very specific knowledge requirements, a number of programs have been or are being developed to train prospective employees in key skills. Many of those are hands-on training offered to new workers by their utility employers and are specific to the utility’s systems and processes. There is also an array of continuing-education courses geared toward people already working in the industry that focus on new technologies. But other efforts aim to teach the basics—and more—to prepare students for specific careers. One of those, for example, is a training program developed by the Gas Measurement Training Council—a consortium of 17 companies in the gas industry—for natural gas measurement technicians, an area that has been identified as having a significant potential shortage of workers. The GMTC program was recently implemented by two community colleges (in Salt Lake City and in Great Bend, Kansas); already four people have completed the course and are working in the field, according to John Hand, chair of the GMTC and senior technical advisor, measurement, at SpectraEnergy. “It was the classic thing that everyone’s hearing now,” says Hand. “It’s hard to find people with the skills we’re looking for. Measurement can be a challenging area. This curriculum covers the specific job of a measurement technician.” “There was nothing that was a coherent training curriculum that was owned by the industry, developed by the industry, and maintained by the industry,” explains Eric Kelner, vice president and COO of Letton Hall Group, who helped spearhead the GMTC program. Both of the community colleges that have adopted the program have mobile measurement training facilities onsite that provide students with hands-on opportunities to learn, as well as classroom and Web-based instruction. The goal is to provide students with the critical knowledge they’ll need to get hired as gas measurement technicians; then their employers will provide specific training in the utility’s systems and processes. “For new people, this is definitely a leg up,” Hand says. Based on early enthusiasm for the program, plans call for the council to review the curriculum annually and add new modules covering specific technologies as needed. The group hopes that more companies in the industry will join the consortium, help to develop the curriculum, and potentially offer program modules to new and existing employees. aGa PlEDGES $1 MIllION foR sCholaRship pRogRam recognizing the shortage of skilled workers for the natural gas industry, the American Gas Association in April announced the creation of a $1 million scholarship program. AGA expects that more than 200 students will benefit from these scholarships over the next five years as they plan for careers in the natural gas industry. more than two dozen u.s. colleges and universities have already been selected to participate. Among the skills in high demand are hVAc, welding, pipefitters, mechanical/ petroleum/chemical engineering, and other engineering fields. “We are making an investment in helping to develop a skilled workforce capable of maintaining the 21st-century technology that transports and utilizes this clean energy source serving the needs of more than 177 million Americans,” said AGA President and ceo dave mccurdy, who announced the creation of the program at the lnG 17 conference in houston. “our commitment will help ensure the continued vitality of the American workforce and solidify the legacy of this transformation in American energy.” July 2013 AmericAn GAs 29

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Gas - July 2013

American Gas - July 2013
Contents
President’s Message
Subject Index
Shining a Light for Gas Efficiency
Digest
Issues
Issues
Update
Need to Know
By the Numbers
Places
Scratch, Sniff—Evacuate?
Capitol Hill
Cape Canaveral
The Corner Office
AGA Ops Conference
Elm Street
Work in Progress
Profile
For Good Measure
Law
Jobs
Marketplace
Buyer’s Guide
Headway

American Gas - July 2013