Our energy education series continues as we welcomed State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Jake Corman to NEPA on January 20th. Senator Corman’s platform is dedicated making Pennsylvania work for Pennsylvanians and he has carried that theme over to his gubernatorial campaign, touting that he aims to “Put Pennsylvanians First.”
That message is what kickstarted our conversations. As part of the energy industry, we put Pennsylvanians first by promoting and investing in the education that’s preparing a new workforce to enter careers with family-sustaining wages. We also have a strong commitment to community and economic development. “Having Senator Corman be part of these energy conversations is vital since he is a leader in these areas,” said George Stark, Director of External Affairs at Coterra.”
To demonstrate to Senator Corman exactly how the energy industry is committed to education, we brought him to the Lackawanna College School of Petroleum & Natural Gas. He took a tour of the state-of-the-art facility and participated in a roundtable discussion with members from various sectors of the community, including:
- Tom Henry, Wyoming County Commissioner
- Gene Brady, Executive Director, CEO Wienberg Food Bank
- Melissa Turlip, Director of Programing, Commonwealth Charitable Management
- Chad Gorman, Manager, GasSearch Drilling Services (GDS)
- Gina Suydam, President, Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce & Wyoming County Alliance
It was clear that these attendees are excited to see schools like Lackawanna College and Susquehanna County Career & Technology Center grow their already successful programs to help meet their growing employment demands. Chad from GDS mentioned that he has an immediate need for 50 drivers and stated, “We are partnering with the Susquehanna County Career & Technology Center CDL program. The drivers coming out of this program are well trained and eager to work.” GDS is Susquehanna County’s largest employer with over 250 employees and has invested millions of dollars into state-of-the-art trucking facilities in the county.
Following the discussion, Senator Jake Corman shared that “Lackawanna College is doing what we should be doing all across Pennsylvania. It’s very exciting combing private enterprise with education to create a workforce. To allow people to get an education at a much more affordable rate. To go get jobs, that are very high-paying jobs at starting level. This is the model we should be using all across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – Private enterprises working with education to create a workforce that employers need.”
We must and we will continue educating our lawmakers and elected officials on the vast benefits of Pennsylvanian energy. From growing a workforce to bolstering the economy to supporting community partners, the energy industry can be a catalyst for American prosperity for years to come. Stay tuned as we bring you additional energy conversations over the next few weeks!
