LAGCOE '15: New San Juan College expands energy training
LAFAYETTE -- The brand new, state- of-the- art School of Energy at San Juan College, located in Farmington, New Mexico, hosted its grand opening in September and began instructing students in the new building this fall.
The new building features state of the art equipment, meeting rooms which are available to rent, class rooms, labs and the Sherman Dugan Museum of Geology, which features minerals and fossils from around the world.
“At the School of Energy, our focus is our students and providing them the quality and training they need to be successful in the careers they desire,” Dean of the School of Energy Randy Pacheco said. “The new building will assist us in expanding our curriculum and our training to allow more students to get the education they want.”
The School of Energy proudly provides the training, certifications and education needed for jobs in the oil, gas and energy industries. The School of Energy is proud to be business partners with many local and nationwide companies including BP America, ConocoPhillips, Encana, XTO, APS, Williams, Merrion Oil & Gas, DJ Simmons, Halliburton, Koch Exploration and Chevron, and works with these companies to provide employees who have the necessary training to become professionals in the field and in their companies.
The School of Energy offers degrees and /or certificates in Industrial Maintenance Mechanic, Industrial Process Operator, Natural Gas Compression, Occupational Safety (online), Production Operations, Well Control and Instrumentation and Control. The school also provides a top-notch Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program, where students gain hands-on training and can earn their CDL certification and begin working within eight weeks.
The Instrumentation and Controls Technology program is new to the School of Energy in 2015, but has been the premiere program in the Southwest region, providing industry specific training to college students, industry apprenticeship students, internships, as well as local area high school students.
In recognition of the trend in industry, this program trains the student as an Instrument Control Electrician, combining the two crafts of Instrument Tech and Industrial Electrician. In the San Juan Basin, instrumentation and controls technicians are in demand to work in jobs ranging from automation technician in the oilfield and refineries, to controls technicians at the local power plants.Online courses and degrees are also available. This is especially beneficial for long-distance students who want to increase their credentials and complete a degree while working full-time. San Juan College has joined the Texas Engineering Extension Service and Texas A&M University-Commerce to offer safety professionals an exciting opportunity to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree. This unique program allows qualified safety professionals who already hold a TEEX Certified Safety and Health Official (CSHO) certificate to earn a college degree while continuing to work full time. Students can receive 18 hours of college credit for a TEEX CHSO certificate and complete degree requirements through San Juan College and Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Upon completion of the AAS degree core SAFE courses (18 credit hours), Occupational Safety students will earn an Occupational Safety certificate. These core courses provide entry-level training and skills. Certificate completion provides basic safety knowledge and prepares students to become competent safety professionals. Like the AAS degree, the certificate is earned online, offering flexibility for the working student.
The San Juan College Foundation and the School of Energy would like to thank the donors who have supported San Juan College students and the new School of Energy with their generosity. Thank you to BP America, Merrion Oil and Gas, the State of New Mexico, San Juan College, the Westmeath Foundation, the Tom Dugan Family, ConocoPhillips, Arizona Public Service, XTO, DJ Simmons, PNM, Encana, Williams and WPX.
