All
two dozen students who recently completed two-year training certificates for
jobs in the Marcellus shale industry got jobs and they are making about $70,000
a year according to state Community and Technical College Chancellor Jim
Skidmore.
Skidmore
updated state lawmakers Tuesday on the program that is offered at Pierpont
Community and Technical College in Fairmont
and West Virginia Northern Community College
in Wheeling
“We
could have a total of 100 students at each,” he said. Recruitment efforts are
underway.
Chancellor
Skidmore said students aren’t earning engineering degrees but certificates
where they can work as technicians at the many drill sites in West Virginia
“There
are more and more companies moving in, the drilling keeps increasing. So we
don’t expect that demand to go down over the next 10 to 15 years,” the
chancellor said.
The
programs do have several needs. Currently there’s an indoor drill site
simulator and one outdoor, somewhat older, type drill site classroom. Skidmore
said the programs need three simulators.
“To
offer a really, high-quality, state-of-the-art program and with this industry
the potential it has we should do that, we need the outdoor simulator. Will we
ever get 200 students without it? I don’t know,” Chancellor Skidmore said.
The
program is seeking help with equipment from drilling companies. State Sen. Sam
Cann, D-Harrison, said if after two-years of training someone can make $70,000
a year while staying in West Virginia the state should do all it can to make
the training programs the best they can be.
“Maybe
we need to quit dragging our feet and looking for handouts and get it done,”
Cann said during Tuesday’s committee meeting.
Chancellor
Skidmore also told lawmakers he’s seen no evidence that the companies drilling
for natural gas in the Marcellus shale in the Mountain
State will not hire West
Virginians . He’s said he has met with some of the companies.
“I didn’t hear anybody saying they didn’t need these folks and they
would not hire 