WV Residents to Get Free Pipefitter Training for Gas Jobs

| | |

Yet more drilling-related jobs on the way, this time in northern West Virginia. The West Virginia Northern Community College is teaming up with Dominion Natrium to train up to 100 local residents to be pipefitters to work at the Natrium processing plant.

Up to 100 local residents looking for employment in the oil and natural gas industry can get free training from West Virginia Northern Community College for a chance to work as pipefitters at the Dominion Natrium processing plant.

The classes – which are set to run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. five days a week starting March 26 at the college’s New Martinsville campus – are the result of a partnership involving the college, Dominion and Chicago Bridge & Iron, the company Dominion hired to build the $500 million plant.

"We’re very excited to be part of this partnership to prepare individuals not only for job opportunities that will be available soon, but also for future opportunities that are sure to come with the Marcellus and Utica shale resources," said WVNCC President Martin J. Olshinsky.

Mike Koon, vice president of work force development at WVNCC, said successful candidates for the program must pass a drug test and complete a pre-training assessment in reading and math. He said the program "enables the college to prepare local residents for jobs in the area for the immediate term, and it also builds capacity within the college to continue the training for future construction projects related to the petrochemical industry."*

*The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register (Feb 28, 2012) – Dominion, WVNCC Will Train Pipefitters