From WYTV (ABC), Youngstown
March 29, 2012
See the video here.
The lucrative shale boom is bringing business to the Valley and it’s also bringing with it huge job opportunities.
On Thursday, the city of Warren and Eastern Gateway Community College announced a new partnership in hopes of getting oil companies to hire local workers.
“It’s critical, because if we’re not ready, the industry won’t wait on us,” said Warren Mayor Doug Franklin. “They’ll bring in other workers.”
Eastern Gateway Community College is able to offer free, three-week shale training programs through its $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
“We’re the only school in Ohio with this grant. And what the grant does is it provides free training for people who are interested in entering the shale program,” said Laura Meeks, president of Eastern Gateway Community College.
On April 4, two free information sessions are being held at Packard Music Hall in Warren, one at 2 p.m. and one at 5 p.m. Educators and others will talk about shale jobs, the school’s tuition-based programs and more importantly, the free training programs. The free offerings cover four high priority entry-level occupations like roustabouts, production technicians and welders.
“There’s a huge interest in jobs,” Meeks said. “You know, my son is unemployed right now so I know what it’s like to be in the construction industry and not be able to have a job right now. Well, jobs are coming to the Valley and people are coming to the jobs.”
Applicants for the free training programs must pass a background check, physical exam and drug screening. The city of Warren is providing reimbursements for its residents who pass the tests and get into the ShaleNET programs.
“We did receive some money from a signing bonus with a leasing contract from some property we own,” Franklin said. “It’s my thought that we need to put some of that money back into the hands of our residents.”
Eastern Gateway recently graduated its first ShaleNET class from the Jefferson County campus in Steubenville. During an information session in that community, more than 500 people showed up.
Meeks said they received 400 applicants, of which 120 are currently in the pipeline for training, and college officials know the trend will continue.
“And to know that we can say to people there are jobs in welding, there are jobs in beng a machinist (and) there are jobs in being a rig controller or a production technician in the oil industry, it’s just everything to me.” Meeks said.