HCC partners with area community colleges to train upstream/midstream workforce
Feb 3, 2016
Houston Community College (HCC) is spearheading an alliance with three other community colleges in the Gulf Coast Region to address middle skills workforce needs in the upstream and midstream oil and gas industry.
HCC, along with representatives from San Jacinto Community College District, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and Jones County Junior College, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the newly formed Consortium for Upstream Safety and Training.
“Our commitment through this MOU is to change and fit the needs of industry to produce the next generation of rig crewmembers, management, and leaders in the industry,” said Dr. Cesar Maldonado, HCC chancellor. “This is the prime time for colleges to step into a role that is critically needed when we take the incumbent worker and make that person flexible enough to move from job to job within a certain industry.”
The institutions made a five-year promise to determine what exactly those jobs are, which will then determine how students are trained.
“It is the best time for us right now to develop the pathways for students to be successful and for our companies to know they can invest in the community college system and to know they can get a high return on their investments,” said Dr. Jesse Smith, president, Jones County Junior College.
The Consortium for Upstream Safety and Training is charged with:
• Developing and supporting middle skills technical workforce training programs;
• Improving the quality of the middle skills oil and gas workforce through instructional materials and curriculum development for targeted technical training programs;
• Raising awareness of middle skills career pathways to increase enrollment in technical training programs and the number of qualified individuals applying for those positions;
• Enhancing technical training programs through professional development opportunities for faculty, teachers, students, program graduates, and incumbent technicians and identification of best practices.
“We know that a skilled workforce is what enables our industries to be globally competitive,” said Dr. Allatia Harris, vice chancellor, Strategic Initiatives at San Jacinto Community College District. “We know that community colleges are the educational arms that train those workers.”
The new agreement also includes an Industry Advisory Council made up of operators, drilling contractors, service companies, and midstream companies who will keep the colleges informed about current and future industry trends.
This collaboration would ultimately help companies such as Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas help fill a growing gap on the field.
“There is a serious lack of talent out there and people need to be trained,” said Andy Ellis, Drilling and Completions manager, Freeport-McMorRan Oil & Gas.
The four colleges view this new consortium as a way to maximize resources, people and opportunities.
“The success of training resides with collaborative effort in partnerships with a multitude of community colleges,” said Dr. Mary Graham, president, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. “We are thrilled to be a part of this effort.”
HCC offers a wide range of programs to educate and train workers for the energy industry for more information visit hccs.edu.