College funded for future gas workers

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Pennsylvania College of Technology recently received a contribution of $15,000 from Anadarko Petroleum Corporation to support training initiatives for workers in the natural gas industry.

Penn College, through its Marcellus Shale Education and Training Center, will use funding from the natural gas producer to develop and implement noncredit training courses specifically designed to support Marcellus Shale development.

Penn College and the MSETC have committed to offering intensive, short-term programs to address the basic skills needed for the success of Marcellus Shale exploration, development and production for Marcellus Shale production companies and their contractors.

"This investment clearly shows the commitment that Anadarko has in developing a local workforce to support the Marcellus Shale development," said Penn College President Davie J. Gilmour.

"We have been working very closely with the natural gas industry for the past year to identify its training needs and to develop courses to specifically address those needs."

"It is our hope that this contribution enhances the education and workforce development programs that Penn College provides for our industry," said Chris Doyle, Anadarko general manager for the Appalachian Basin.

According to Jeffrey F. Lorson, industrial technology specialist for the MSETC, "We are experiencing an increasing demand for training workers for this industry, and Anadarko's investment is a tremendous help as we acquire specific equipment, dedicate additional classroom and lab space, and design and implement new curriculum to support those needs."

Penn College already offers a number of noncredit programs addressing the requirements of the blossoming industry, including Class "A" Commercial Driver Training and API (American Petroleum Institute) 1104 Down-Hand Welding training and certifications.

In addition, the college is partnering with the Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corp. and the Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission. Together, they will offer a series of pre-employment training sessions addressing the foundational skills and knowledge needed for entry-level positions in the natural gas industry.

The first session is scheduled for Jan. 25 at Penn College's North Campus near Wellsboro.

Penn College

revamps HR office

Pennsylvania College of Technology has reorganized its Human Resources Office, naming R. David Kay assistant vice president for human resources and Linda M. Morris assistant vice president for employee relations.

In his new post, Kay will be responsible for all human resources functions relating to employee recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, wellness, policies, faculty-bargaining issues, salary systems, unemployment compensation and employee orientation.

Morris will be responsible for all functions related to compliance, employee relations-advocacy, ombudsman, leaves of absence, background checks and collegewide professional development. She will also be EEO-Title IX-Section 504 coordinator.

"In the ever-changing world of human resources, it is important for any organization to examine its structure and function to be certain it is providing the appropriate environment, infrastructure and staffing structure to meet the needs of the evolving workforce," said Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour.

"Both of these changes allow us to grow and develop - responding to the external environment and our internal employee needs. Additionally, these changes will better position the college to place a heightened focus on professional development."

Kay has been employed in Human Resources at Penn College and its immediate predecessor institution (Williamsport Area Community College) since 1986 in various positions, most recently as director of human resources: compensation and benefits.

He holds a Master of Arts in industrial and labor relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor's degree in education from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

Kay serves on the board of directors for the West Branch Drug and Alcohol Commission. He and his wife, Joann, coordinator of veterans affairs and Work Study at Penn College, reside in South Williamsport and are the parents of a son and daughter, Jonathan and Jessica, and a grandson, Brady.

Morris has been employed at Penn College and Williamsport Area Community College since 1977.

She holds a Master of Arts in American history from Ohio University, and she earned a bachelor's degree in history from Good Counsel College, White Plains, N.Y. She has completed additional, miscellaneous coursework at the former Williamsport Area Community College and Penn College, as well as at Bryant & Stratton College, Salem College and North Shore Community College in Massachusetts.

Morris holds the Senior Professional for Human Resources certification and is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management, the West Branch Human Resources Society and the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources.

She has served on the board (and as chair of the Personnel Committee) for the North Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Red Cross, receiving the Chairman's Award in 2005. She also has served on the Personnel Committee for the YWCA of Northcentral Pennsylvania.

College Web site closed captioned

College-produced videos posted on Pennsylvania College of Technology's Web site, www.pct.edu, are now offered with closed captioning.

Closed captioning allows individuals who are deaf, or those with partial hearing loss, to see all significant audio content on their screens. The content may include spoken dialogue and information describing the speakers and their manner of speaking.

Closed captions, so named because they typically are not visible unless needed by the viewer, may also assist those who are learning to read or speak a new language, and they may be used in settings in which the audio content is difficult to hear.

"The college is committed to providing equal access to the Web and other sources of information technology to students, faculty, staff, guests and visitors with disabilities," said Kay Dunkleberger, coordinator of disability services at Penn College.

"Producing videos that are closed captioned demonstrates our commitment to equal access."

The college's video production team has produced a library of videos supporting the "degrees that work" theme. In the videos, students are seen working on real-life, hands-on projects as they earn their degrees.

These closed-captioned videos can be found throughout the college's Web site. The transcriptioning and captioning was done by Automatic Sync Technologies.