This award is a Planning Grant for an Unconventional Shale Oil and Gas Technology Center of Excellence. While conventional oil and gas exploration has existed since the mid-1850s, rapid changes in the technology allowing the recovery of natural gas and oil that is bound up in shale formations has resulted in game-changing opportunities for US energy production and has changed the demand for and nature of the skills needed by technicians. This award allows Pennsylvania College of Technology to plan to develop an ATE Regional Center of Excellence that will work with employers across the Appalachian Basin to create educational programs that will meet current and future needs for technicians in a wide variety of technology specialties in service and energy companies. The goal is to develop educational programs and products that will be useful to other institutions in responding to the dynamic, ever changing unconventional oil and gas industry. Core activities of the proposed Center include the identification of promising practices for the recruitment of underrepresented groups (women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and veterans) and the development of plans to influence participation by these groups in oil and gas STEM-related technician occupations.
While conventional oil and gas exploration has existed since the mid-1850’s, rapid changes in technology that allow for the recovery of natural gas and oil contained in shale formations has resulted in ‘game changing’ opportunities for U.S. energy production. This has changed the demand for and nature of the skills needed by technicians in this industry. This planning grant supported time and resources at Penn College and other institutions to evaluate if an Educational Center should be proposed, what the focus of the Center would be, and how to enhance advanced technology education at partnering institutions. The ultimate goal strengthens the workforce pipeline for technicians that graduate and enter the shale oil & gas industry. Through needs assessment reviews, IPEDs data review, and several meeting with key stakeholders (industry and non-profit), and educational institutions, a focus was identified for technician education enhancement targeted to industry needs matched with current programing at Colleges. A strong partnership was developed among Colleges, industry representatives, and non-profit/public sector entities that serve the shale oil & gas industry. This laid the groundwork for addressing the emerging needs of the industry through a Regional Education Center, title ShaleNET-ATE. Educational partners that agreed to participate are Pennsylvania College of Technology, Stark State College, Pierpont Community and Technical College, and SUNY-Broome County Community College. Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association (PIOGA) also agreed to participate in the leadership of the proposed Center. The proposal for ShaleNET-ATE Regional Education Center was submitted to the National Science Foundation in October 2013.
