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Monday 16 November 2009

Haynesville Shale activity creates job opportunities

There are a lot of options when it comes to job opportunities in the oil and natural gas industry.

While the economic downturn has slowed oil and natural gas activity throughout most of the country, the Haynesville Shale natural gas deposit has kept companies in northwest Louisiana. And they all need qualified employees.

This area has become a haven for oil and natural gas professionals from throughout the country, said Angie White, vice president of North Louisiana Economic Partnership. "We have more oil and gas people in the area from all over because they have been laid off."

The increase in competition for jobs makes it more imperative for job seekers to set themselves apart, she said.

White and others involved in the oil and natural gas field, speaking Friday at the Haynesville Shale Expo at the Shreveport Convention Center, touted a wide range of options available to people looking to get into the industry.

Local colleges have announced several new programs in the oil and natural gas field. Among them is Bossier Parish Community College in Bossier City, which has started a petroleum technology program.

Louisiana Technical College's northwest Louisiana campus has equipped itself with a rig simulator that lets students learn how to recover from a natural gas leak in a well.

The simulator is used in the Shreveport school's basic well control class for experienced rig operators like drillers and tool pushers, said David Rhodes, assistant dean.

Centenary College also offers a lot of professional development programs. Chris Martin, dean of the private Shreveport school's Frost School of Business touted its Energy Business Center as a resource for oil and natural gas professionals.

It offers lots of programs for weeklong study in a wide array of topics, Martin said.

And Diesel Driving Academy is yet another option for job seekers. Its program trains people to obtain a commercial driver's license. Many of its new graduates can earn up to $40,000 a year plus benefits.

White encouraged people to look in several places when seeking jobs related to the Haynesville Shale. Newspaper classified ads, job fairs and the Web sites of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Louisiana Oil and Gas Association and the North Louisiana Employment Opportunities Network are chock-full of jobs, she said.

"Job seekers have to think more strategically and creatively on how to find their dream jobs."

Read more at Shreveporttimes.com

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