MORGANTOWN, W. V.a. – The West Virginia University Extension Service, Safety and Health Extension is offering oil and gas job training for high school seniors through a partnership with the Diversified Gas & Oil Corporation.
“Most high school graduates entering college or going directly into the workforce have little, if any, knowledge about safety and health considerations in this industry,” Tiffany Rice, adjunct instructor for WVU Extension Service Safety and Health Extension, said. “As the oil and natural gas industry continues to provide job opportunities for young adults, we want to ensure that those workers are aware of, and able to safely handle, serious hazards that can accompany those jobs.”
The SafeLandUSA orientation program will offer job readiness training, an online and hands-on ATV safety course and medical response training in high schools and vocational and technical schools across the state.
“This certification is an industry training that’s required of all the workers in the oil and gas industry,”Rice said,”You have to have this to get onsite.”
Rice says they want to certify 400 high school seniors in 18 different classes.
“We’re working a lot with the technical education centers because the high schoolers are there.” Rice said,”Typically the one that are in the electrical programs, HVAC, diesel mechanic, welding a lot of those trade students can make the transition easily to the oil and gas industry.”