FSC Partners with National Grid in Pioneering Training Program
January 23, 2017
Hands-on training at National Grid
Two years in the making, FSC has partnered with electricity and natural gas supplier National Grid in a ground-breaking program to train students for entry-level positions in the natural gas industry.
In fact, the first class in the Natural Gas Technician Certificate Program has already graduated – and all 12 students are employed at National Grid. That’s because students who successfully complete the program are guaranteed an interview with the company.
“This program is the first of its kind and a prime example of the type of applied learning that leads to immediate employment, ” said Professor Marj Issapour, director of the Renewable Energy and Sustainability Center. “It is a perfect collaboration between industry and academia.”
The RESC is responsible for the curriculum, while National Grid provides the training/teaching spaces and instructors. Students experience 90 hours of classroom instruction and hands-on practice for jobs that are so demanding that potential students must get clearance from their doctor and then pass a pre-entry physical assessment. An aptitude test is also required. All are prerequisites to working at National Grid.
“We’re really excited about this partnership,” said Ken Daly, President of National Grid New York. “Our hope is that we can perfect it downstate and use it to bring new talent to our workforce. Then, the opportunity is to replicate it and bring the same program upstate.”
