Wednesday, November 19, 2014SALINEVILLE, Ohio -- Board members from the Jefferson County Educational Service Center, Southern Local Schools and the Utica Shale Academy got a first-hand look Tuesday at the new conversion school that's preparing students for a future in the oil and gas industry.
Officials met at Southern Local High School in Salineville, which houses the Utica Shale Academy, to view how the program operates. Since it began in September, the academy is instructing 42 students in grades 9-12 on concepts used in the industry. The Utica Shale Academy uses blended learning and gives students a chance to gain credentials required for the oil and gas workforce. On hand that day was Brian Logue, a sales representative with Texas-based Express Energy and a member of the academy board, who gave a presentation on casing and cement work used on well sites. Logue is among several speakers who have visited classes to provide hands-on knowledge about the field.
Utica Shale Academy operates under the auspices of the Jefferson County Educational Service Center in Steubenville. It is a tuition-free program that allows students to learn at their own pace and have the flexibility to attend during half or full days. The program is being offered statewide and has more than 100 traditional high school courses, including advanced placement and specialized classes focusing on the energy industry.
Students work online through the Virtual Learning Academy and use materials provided through PetroEd and the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program, but they also listen to lectures from guest speakers and attend field trips to view oil and gas operations up close. Pupils also work toward credentials for health and safety, RigPass, Drilling Instructor Training (DIT), and well control.
“It was exceptional to have everybody there and there was a great presentation for our students,” said director Eric Sampson.
Students must spend a majority of their time on campus, but they may attend morning or afternoon classes on alternate days. The academy has articulations agreements with Stark State and Eastern Gateway Community Colleges to earn college credit while in high school and create an accelerated tract to earn certificates and associate’s degrees at Stark State. Coursework is recognized by the International Association of Drilling Contractors and officials are also consulting with the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
The day concluded with a luncheon at the Riverside Roadhouse in Wellsville, where JCESC's chief academic officer, Chuck Kokiko, gave a brief presentation on the program’s progression and possibilities for the future.
“We want to make sure the school is relevant and meets the needs of the community,” he said. “We are also looking at future sites.
An advisory board is being formed comprised of industry and education leaders, which will meet twice a year with the first session eyed early next year.
For more information, contact the academy at 330 679 8162, go online to UticaShaleSchool.com or email info@uticashaleschool.com.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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