Oil & gas industry involvement in classroom means graduates with higher skills earning higher wages
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Engineering Technologies students with gas processing model at OSU Institute of Technology.
At OSU Institute of Technology, ETD students greatly enhanced their capabilities when they built a working model of a compressed gas delivery pipeline using $20,000 worth of equipment donated by Chevron Corporation along with a $15,000 re-boiler given by K.W. International of Houston.
According to Engineering Technologies faculty Art Visconti, making such a project possible puts students in an excellent position to start at the high end of beginning salaries for the oil and gas industry.
“This was a very complex project that took two semesters and two project teams to complete. Industry partners made this project possible through equipment donations and technical mentoring. These students, who were all earning their Bachelor of Technology degrees, gained knowledge and applied it to key instrumentation technologies involved in managing the flow of gas product through systems and pipelines. They’ll definitely be among those graduates who will start their career in the $20 to $23 per hour range.”
Chevron’s Human Resources Business Partner, Greg Yoxsimer, says the students’ project demonstrates the high degree of technical understanding and capabilities his company needs graduates to have. “One of my biggest challenges is finding enough qualified people to fill our operations and maintenance positions. Fortunately, at OSU Institute of Technology, students are receiving the training Chevron needs for its workforce.”
Prior to graduation, all OSU Institute of Technology students must complete a project-based course called Capstone. The purpose of the Capstone course is to provide students an opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skill they have gained throughout the plan of study. Under the direction of Visconti, the students assembled a model using boilers, pipes, computers and electronic instrumentation. The model simulates gas flow control processes found in the oil and gas industry.
According to Visconti, since it took two teams almost a year to complete the model, more students got to grapple with a very educational brainteaser. “When these students started the project, none of them understood this process. They first had to get their minds around the entire gas delivery system. With this accomplished, they were challenged to design a structure and obtain the necessary components that would remove water from gas in the pipeline. Students eliminated the moisture by bubbling the gas through liquid glycol, which absorbs the water vapor.”
Chevron has also made its corporate jet available to fly Okmulgee students and faculty to visit the petroleum giant's oil production facility in Midland, Texas. Corporate executives said they hoped the trip would help the students make better informed career decisions.
“Companies are really working with us to develop highly skilled technicians who will be ready to step in and operate sophisticated instrumentation and control systems that improve the efficiency of their facilities,” said Visconti. “It’s a benefit to them, and it’s a benefit to our graduates who will be highly sought as employees.”