Odessa College joins with TEEX to offer specialized training to oil and gas workers

ODESSA — Oil and gas workers in the Permian Basin will have easier access to safety and health training through a new agreement between Odessa College and the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). TEEX owns and operates the OSHA Training Institute Southwest Education Center (OTISEC) located in Mesquite, TX, and provides OSHA-certified safety and health training in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.

Odessa College has been designated a TEEX Cooperative Learning Center (CLC), authorizing the college to teach TEEX safety and health classes within the college’s service area. The CLC agreement means Odessa College has been approved as a OTISEC host site to teach TEEX courses using its own verified instructors and facilitators through the college’s Continuing Education and Workforce Training Office.

“With the level of shale gas play in the Permian Basin Fields, our training requests in this region of the state are at an all-time high. Partnering with Odessa College provides TEEX with the opportunity to meet this demand and provide much needed safety and health training to the oil and gas industry workers in the Permian Basin,” said Ron Peddy, Director of OTISEC.

Courses being offered this Spring include: Introduction to Oil and Gas, Medic First Aid and CPR Trainer, Recordkeeping Rule Seminar, and Introduction to Accident Investigation.

“Bringing these classes to the Permian Basin provides increased opportunities for oil and gas industry in the region to train their employees more conveniently and affordably,” said OC President Gregory Williams.

About TEEX

World-renowned for its hands-on, customized training, the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) offers a wide range of technical and skills training programs aimed at employed workers and those entering the labor force. During its fiscal year 2012, TEEX provided training and technical assistance to more than 183,750 people from all 50 states, five U.S. territories, the District of Columbia and 79 countries. TEEX is a member of The Texas A&M University System.

About Odessa College
Odessa College has focused consistently on the future of Odessa and the Permian Basin since 1946, impacting the lives of more than 500,000 people through its academic, career and technical, continuing education, adult basic education, workforce training, and community recreation programs. During the 2011-2012 school year, Continuing Education and Workforce Training helped more than 15,000 enrollees meet their personal and professional enrichment goals. Remarkably, OC has continued to show enrollment growth during one the biggest economic booms in the history of the Permian Basin.