PETEX hosts grand opening event for new Learning and Assessment Center in Houston
10/28/2011
On Wednesday, October 12, CIE's Petroleum Extension Service (PETEX®) celebrated the grand opening of the new PETEX Learning and Assessment Center in Houston, Texas. Local and state representatives, oil and gas industry professionals and staff members from CIE and PETEX were on hand to roam the facility and get oriented to the teaching and learning capabilities found in this dynamic new site.
See the photo gallery below.
Guests were encouraged to explore teaching exhibits and labs, inspect the state-of-the-art measurement devices, and test-drive the cutting edge global e-learning tools, such as the online interactive oil rig. This hands-on tour was designed to give guests a firsthand look at the new learning facility and its potential as a creative, customizable learning space. Larger classrooms, more training equipment, higher student capacities and greater Web-based tools all add up to making the PETEX Learning and Assessment Center an excellent resource for all workers, at every level, in the oil and gas industry.
PETEX anticipates students coming to the new center from all over the world to attend valuable instructor-led courses. “Our students will leave here with all of their questions answered,” said John Hoopingarner, director of PETEX. Students gain direct access to the wisdom, feedback and expertise of the PETEX instructors, all of whom are subject matter experts.
Barbara Thomason, President of the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce, spoke to the assembled guests to welcome PETEX and The University of Texas at Austin to Houston and offer her thanks to the center as a boon to Houston’s energy community and the local economy. Texas State Representative Patricia Harless of District 126 also joined the assembly to support PETEX’s new Houston facility.
Linda Glessner, Senior Associate Dean of CIE, also spoke to the crowd about the significance of the new center to PETEX and the entire oil and gas industry. "This facility is on the cutting edge. PETEX is cutting a path to the future and this center demonstrates that path." She continued, “PETEX is on the leading edge of technology, content, e-books, publications, e-learning tools and we even have an assessment tool that fits on a thumb drive. We have all the tools to answer the training needs of any oil and gas industry person or any affiliate to the industry anywhere in the world - be it on an offshore drilling rig or up on the borders of Canada.”
The opening of the Learning Center comes at a critical time in the oil and gas industry. Described as the “Great Crew Change” by John Hoopingarner in the video above, the majority of current oil and gas workers are entering their 60s and looking to retire. The next generation of oil and gas workers needs quality, up-to-date training to help them fill the vacancies left by retiring or advancing workers. PETEX is leading this industry-wide training effort with such programs as the new Professional Landman Certificate Program, to help drive the next generation of oil and gas exploration in Texas.
Hoopingarner stated, “We see great opportunities for PETEX to help oil and gas companies make this transition as smoothly, safely and efficiently as possible. Our job is to make sure that people will be highly trained in their jobs and an asset to the industry. Our expert training programs ensure that the oil and gas fields in Texas and around the world are well looked after and developed properly.”
Among courses being taught at the new PETEX facility are important safety mechanism training measures needed for use in conjunction with drilling protocols—both onshore and offshore. Planned curriculum in 2012 includes classes in:
- Drilling
- Petroleum Measurement
- Pipeline Technology
- Offshore Operations
- Natural Gas Measurement
- Production Technology
- And much more
The new PETEX Learning and Assessment Center is located at 4702 North Sam Houston Parkway West, Suite 800, at Bammel Business Park in Houston, Texas.
Click on any of the images below to open a larger image from the grand opening event.
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Tags: video, photo gallery, petex, oil and gas industry, linda glessner, learning and assessment center, john hoopingarner, houston chamber of commerce, houston, grand opening, barbara thomason,
