New Videos Feature Alumni Working in Natural Gas Industry

Published 02.20.2013

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The diverse opportunities for college graduates to excel in the natural gas industry are highlighted in the latest videos added to Pennsylvania College of Technology’s YouTube Channel.

The short videos feature an electronics alumnus and an information technology alumnus whose bachelor’s degrees are working for them at Anadarko Petroleum Corp., one of the world’s largest independent oil and natural gas exploration and production companies.



Douglas MartinA typical day for Brandon J. Howe, class of 2001, information technology: data communications and networking (now information technology: network specialist) and Douglas Martin, class of 2008, electronics engineering technology (now electronics and computer engineering technology) is revealed in the videos. Both alumni also discuss the most important attributes of their Penn College education.

Howe, senior IT systems analyst, and Martin, automation technician, work out of Anadarko’s Williamsport office. Howe and Martin were also featured in the natural gas episode of  "degrees that work.tv," an award-winning career awareness series produced by Penn College and WVIA Public Media.

Kathleen K. Hart, of Binghamton, N.Y., a web design and multimedia bachelor-degree major at Penn College, edited the alumni video profiles of Howe and Martin. Hart serves as a student video production assistant in the College Information & Community Relations Office.

Penn College has been a leader in training incumbent workers and future professionals for rewarding careers in the oil and natural gas industry, which has established a foothold throughout the state and the mid-Atlantic region.

The Marcellus Shale, located under parts of six states including approximately two-thirds of Pennsylvania, is particularly attractive for development due to its natural gas capacity and proximity to major population centers in the Northeast.

As the success of Howe and Martin illustrates, Penn College’s applied technology curriculum provides a clear path to the burgeoning industry. The college offers numerous associate and bachelor’s degrees relating to natural gas careers. For long-term growth potential and career flexibility in the industry, higher education – in the form of trade/industrial certifications and two- and four-year degrees – is recommended.

Brandon J. HowePenn College also offers extensive workforce-development programming for current natural gas industry professionals and those moving into the field through ShaleTEC, a partnership with Penn State Extension. In 2011-12, more than 4,500 individuals attended ShaleTEC courses covering various phases of natural gas production.

Other training connections to the sector include ShaleNET U.S. and the Energy Technology Education Center.

Penn College is the lead institution for ShaleNET U.S., a consortium initiative that develops and standardizes educational programs serving high-demand occupational categories in the oil and natural gas and associated supply-chain industries.

The ETEC mimics hydraulic fracturing and production sites to facilitate emergency-response training. It’s located at the college’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center near Allenwood.

For more about Penn College, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.