Training center is the only one of its kind in country BY HARRY WHITED Alaska oil producers sometimes disagree but they all agree the state’s biggest industry needs more skilled workers. The Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center is working hard to fill that need with a unique approach. Amy Schumacher, Director of the Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center, said that the FPTC is the only one of its kind in the nation, with the unique approach of attempting to get all of the trades to work together and buy into multi-craft training. Schumacher said that the concept of bringing all of the trades together originated from a class the FPTC offered in 1998. She said that the mission at FPTC has always been the same, helping Alaskans obtain oil and gas jobs so that this may help and propel their future apprenticeships and careers. Though their history is filled with innovation, the FPTC is still looking toward development. One of these developments is an initiative to incorporate more rural Alaskans into the program. Schumacher said one of the ways the FPTC is working to achieve this is by bringing rural Alaskans to a “camp” that simulates the environment of working up North. The camp also grants people going through the program the opportunity to acquire skills they would need on the North Slope. Schumacher said the FPTC has also considered sending instructors out to rural communities to train on the equipment that the community can already provide. “That’s the potential for the future,” she said. “We want Alaskans to fill these seats.” Another development at FPTC is the expansion of one of its camps. As it stands now, the camp can hold 25 beds but is soon growing to accommodate 12 additional beds. Schumacher said this expansion is a vital part of the training atmosphere for the FPTC. The expansion will ensure the camp does not “overflow” during pipeline training season, which is an obstacle that the FPTC has solved by putting people in nearby hotels. Though this first solution remedied the overflow, Schumacher said that the FPTC wanted to try to keep people together to best simulate the conditions on the North Slope. “The idea of the camp is to have cohesion and camaraderie. “We want to house everybody together so that they have a good feel for what the North Slope is going to feel like,” Schumacher said. An additional expansion will be a classroom, she said. With the help of an EDA grant, the FPTC is working on acquiring heavy equipment like loaders, bulldozers, and a crane to best help people going through the program. The camp, which is like a little hotel equipped with sleeping areas, fullsized kitchens, and a camp manager’s suite, is a big priority when it comes to helping people, especially young people going through the program, she said. Schumacher said FPTC makes it a priority to liven the environment of the camp. “Especially with younger groups or rural Alaskans, we like to bring in an elder,” Schumacher said. “They kind of look over and manage the camp and make sure that everybody is minding their P’s and Q’s.” Schumacher mentioned the demographics of some of the people who partake in these courses at the FPTC. Students range widely, with introductory classes being attended by anyone ages 14 to 26. Different training levels on the course also mean age differences. Schumacher cites the example of a 75-year-old man working in their program. The FPTC works with Alaskans to develop an outline of how they want to contribute to the state and their career. “We create pathways for people to line up their careers,” Schumacher said. She gave an example that someone could take a class offered by the FPTC, then link up with the Teamsters union, becoming a career Teamster. That process could be difficult to achieve had it not been through a program that is directly oriented to career growth. The FPTC is a large and functional facility with five buildings, each specializing in a particular training. n Building A: Trades facility n Building B: Leased to UAF where it has its process technology facilities n Building C: Main classroom facility n Building D: Plumbers and pipefitters facility n Building E: Camp. With all of the new projects coming to the North Slope, Schumacher emphasized how imperative it is to incorporate Alaskans into these programs so that they may find bountiful employment within their home state. Schumacher said the FPTC expects it to be bustling for the next five to seven years with all of the work that is coming to the North Slope and the number of Alaskans who are willing to go up there to do the good work for themselves, their families, and their communities. More information: www.fairbankspipelinetrainin.com/about-us Harry Whited is an Anchorage native, a journalism student at the University of Kansas, and a regular contributor to The Link www.AlaskaAlliance.com 27 Class members undergo training that simulates an in-the-field environment.
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