GPA Midstream and GPSA have shared a long partnership with the Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT), first through its Natural Gas Compression Program and now through the school’s recent introduction of its Pipeline Integrity Program. The midstream industry relies upon the education that students receive in OSUIT’s applied learning environments that simulate workplace expectations.
The Natural Gas Compression Program has been part of the OSUIT curriculum for more than 20 years. The purpose of this program is to develop a reliable and continuous source for technicians specifically trained in natural gas compression to enter the gas processing industry. The program targets the recruitment of students from geographic areas in which GPA Midstream and GPSA members have a need for technicians. The program also incorporates internships to allow students to use and reinforce in a real world setting what they have learned in their classrooms and labs.
Both GPA Midstream and GPSA have been instrumental in the program’s development, providing professional expertise, financial support and equipment since its beginning. Today the Natural Gas Compression Program is the largest at OSUIT and boasts a 100 percent employment rate for those who successfully complete the training.
The need for skilled engineering technologists that install, operate, maintain, repair and manage the integrity and security of pipelines is on the rise, and OSUIT has targeted this need by initiating its Pipeline Integrity Program that will enable students to develop the skills necessary to be successful in the pipeline industry. Major topics of study include safety, assessing pipeline damage and risk, corrosion control, design and integrity management.
OSUIT invited GPA Midstream and GPSA to partner with the school on the new program in a similar manner as the support that both associations provide to natural gas compression program. This degree program requires financial investment in order to provide classrooms, laboratory spaces and equipment for students to have an authentic learning environment that mirrors field experiences as closely as possible.
GPSA contributes up to $30,000 toward undergraduate engineering scholarships each year, with $5,000 going to each of GPA Midstream’s six chapter organizations’ scholarship programs. To date, more than $800,000 has been contributed to scholarships.
GPA Midstream hosts the premier yearly gathering of midstream industry professionals, the GPA Midstream Convention. The event draws more than 1,700 attendees representing more than 400 companies each year, providing GPSA members an unparalleled opportunity to meet with operating company counterparts in one location.
GPSA companies have ample exposure opportunities at the convention through sponsorships, hospitalities and advertising, but one of the best ways to expand your customer contact list is to attend the event and take advantage of the many networking opportunities. GPSA members receive registration discounts and member prices on sponsorship opportunities.
For more information about the convention:
