Marcellus Shale has the potential to significantly affect business activity, workforce needs, and employment opportunities in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. The Marcellus Shale Education and Training Center (MSETC), Direct Workforce Needs Assessment of 14 Pennsylvania counties indicated more than 410 people, representing over 150 different occupations, are needed to bring each Marcellus well into production. It also revealed approximately 75% of the new Marcellus workforce would require a high school diploma or specialized certification and 25% of the new workforce will require a 4-year degree. Within the confines of the needs assessment area alone, the planned development of the Marcellus over the next 5-years translates into between 8,500–10,500 new direct jobs in the natural gas industry.
The Marcellus Shale Workforce Forum is designed to bring educational organizations and institutions, government agencies, and industry from across the Marcellus region together to learn more about the 95,000 square mile Marcellus Shale Play, the workforce needs industry will require to safely extract the estimated 493 trillion cubic feet of natural gas within the Play, to learn about educational successes and challenges in Pennsylvania and other states, and to discuss areas of potential collaboration to meet the vast natural gas industry workforce needs. It is critical that Pennsylvania workforce development providers be prepared to meet the potential labor demand arising from the development of the Marcellus Shale, and thus ensure that individuals are able to take advantage of the new and increasing employment opportunities.
Marcellus Shale Workforce Forum Summary:
• When: December 7-8, 2009
• Where: Blair County Convention Center, Altoona, PA
• Visit the Marcellus Shale Workforce Forum Web Site: http://agsci.psu.edu/marcellus-shale-workforce
• Register for Event: http://agsci.psu.edu/marcellus-shale-workforce
