High school students get on right track for energy career
PULASKI COUNTY—Some high school students in Kentucky could be getting an early start in well-paying careers in the natural gas industry. Industrial Training Services, a national program offering pipeline industry training, has partnered with the Pulaski County Area Technology Center to offer the Natural Gas Technician program at three area high schools.
ITS President Stephanie Balmer said she knows of no other such training for high school students. She also told American Gas it is important to train young people for energy careers since many longtime employees are retiring. “We see it every day, the knowledge we are losing,” she said.
Chris Cross, who teaches four high school classes in natural gas fundamentals, industry safety, and meter and line service and installation, said some of his students found jobs as soon as they graduated. That includes some who work for the city of Somerset, which helped launch the program. In addition, Martin Contracting, which also helped the program get started, has hired recent graduates.
Students also get dual credit at the local community college if they want to further their education.
Cross has worked in the natural gas industry since 1997 and said he “saw the need for trained individuals to do the work. … Most of the companies I’ve been around have a lot of aging workers. We’re trying to get the word out.”
The technology center has had 252 high school students sign up for the program over the last four years, and the typical class has 12 to 15 students. The program has been recognized as the first of its kind in Kentucky’s secondary education sector. The Kentucky Gas Association was also instrumental in launching the program.
ITS provides the curriculum for the program and awards students a certification upon completion. ITS has been providing training for the pipeline industry since 1977, when its founder developed the first standardized program for gas companies in Kentucky.