For additional information about any of the news stories listed below, please contact Rodger Boyce in the NCTC Office of Marketing & Public Relations, 1525 W. California St., Gainesville, TX 76240, telephone 940-668-4255. All material Copyright 2003, North Central Texas Community College District.

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NCTC BREAKS GROUND FOR OIL & GAS TECHNOLOGY CENTER
NOTE: See photo at conclusion of article.

BOWIE, TEXAS – Formal groundbreaking ceremonies for a new Oil & Gas Production Technology Center wing of the Bowie Campus of North Central Texas College focused attention on what college officials are calling “the most exciting new program offering in many years.”

The new technical education program will be in place this fall and will offer students both two-year associate degree and one-year certification options.

The program will based at the NCTC Bowie Campus at the request of community and industry partners who are financing the project and because of its proximity to what one of them termed “the heart of the Barnett Shale natural gas field.”

Some courses in the program, however, will also be offered at both the main campus in Gainesville and the extension campus in Corinth.

The Barnett Shale is one of the largest natural gas fields in North America and the largest in the state of Texas. Improved recovery techniques have facilitated increased drilling activity in the region and have already substantially increased the number of oil and gas industry-related jobs throughout NCTC’s service area (Cooke, Denton, Montague).

Ed Ireland, executive director for the Barnett Shale Energy Education Council addressed those gathered for the groundbreaking ceremonies and said that the economic impact of the field is going to be even greater than at first projected.

Reporting on an update of an in-depth economic impact study conducted by nationally respected economist Dr. Ray Perryman, Ireland said the impact now amounts to $9.1 billion annually and that 83,000 new jobs have already been created in this region, with the numbers expected to continue increasing.

According to Emily Klement, dean of the NCTC Bowie Campus, the college is aligned with three regional workforce development boards, and all three have identified oil and gas technology as a “targeted industry” for this region, with the trend expected to continue well into the next decade.

Klement reported that representatives from EnCana USA, Inc., approached NCTC to request that it consider establishing an educational program that could increase labor pool capacity for the North Texas oil and gas industry.

“And we were very happy to oblige,” she said. “I think it’s very significant for prospective students, as well as their future employers, to know that the development of this program—from the curriculum to this physical facility—has been industry-driven from the beginning, and we intend to keep it that way.”

Eventually, representatives of 14 organizations—including not only EnCana but such companies as Complete Production Services, Allied Production Solutions and Energy Service Company of Bowie—came together to work with NCTC to design an educational program that is as relevant as possible to industry employer needs.

“But we would never have been able to do this facility expansion for which we are breaking ground without the very significant financial backing of EnCana, as well as the Bowie 4B Sales Tax Corporation and the Bowie Economic Development Corporation,” Klement stressed.

“It was the citizens of Bowie, who voted to dedicate local sales tax revenues for the purpose, who built and continue to maintain the original NCTC Bowie Campus facility in a college-private sector partnership that is unique statewide,” she added.

Persons representing all the community and industry partners were on hand to turn the first spadefuls of dirt in preparation for the new 6,560-square-foot expansion that will be known as the Center for Oil & Gas Production Technology at NCTC.

The college expressed its gratitude to the partners in a special VIP luncheon which preceded the groundbreaking. The meal was provided by Atmos Energy.

A special highlight of the luncheon was the presentation by Maurice Robeson, former NCTC dean of instruction, of a $25,000 gift to the NCTC Foundation to establish the Freddie Robeson Memorial Oil & Gas Technology Scholarship to benefit students pursuing a degree or certificate from NCTC. The late Mr. Robeson was heavily involved in the oil and gas industry.

Expressly designed for the purpose, the new space will include an oil and gas technical training center, computer lab, lecture room, new library facility and space for faculty offices. Industry partners have also agreed to provide training cut-aways of oil and gas production equipment for the technical training center.

Partners will also provide the needed equipment to establish an outdoor training area to simulate a well site to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities. In addition, training sites will be used throughout the North Texas area, providing on-site training in all areas of gas production, processing and services.

Doug Akins, dean of advanced and applied technologies, said that from a curriculum standpoint, safety training as designed and mandated by OSHA will be a major component. Other courses will address work teams, communication and leadership, as well the experiential training for the oil and gas industries.

“These experiential courses prepare students for entry-level careers as part of a production team charged with safe and efficient extraction and flow of product,” Akins said. “The program will also offer those currently in the field to combine education with experience and increase their chances for advancement to managerial jobs with higher wages.”

Persons seeking additional information about the oil and gas production technology program at NCTC should contact Akins at 940-668-7731 or by email: oilandgas@nctc.edu. More information also is available online: http://www.nctc.edu/Oil&Gas/.

PHOTO CUTLINE….
NCTC OIL & GAS GROUNDBREAKING—Community and industry partners gather for the ceremonial turning of the first spadefuls of dirt in preparation for startup of construction on an expansion of the Bowie Campus of North Central Texas College that will house the new oil and gas production technology program. Left to right are: Ken Coolen, NCTC regent; Tim Hall, Energy Services Company of Bowie,Texas; Douglas Hock, EnCana USA Inc.; Debbie West, EnCana; Joe Probst, Bowie 4B Sales Tax Corporation; Emily Klement, dean of NCTC Bowie Campus; James Cantwell, 4B Sales Tax Corporation; Steve Gaylord, NCTC regent; Eddie Hadlock, NCTC president; Mark Watson; Allied Production Solutions; Bruce Blackman, Complete Production Services; Rep. Rick Hardcastle, Dr. Bill Ledbetter, NCTC regents chairman; and Dave Flusche, NCTC regent. The new program opens this fall.

 
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