Energy Education Programs: Where Do You Start?
At TOP Energy Training, we want to make it easier for high school and university students to gain a solid foundation of industry fundamentals and distinguish their future college and/or employment applications – allowing them to rise to the top. Students who go the extra mile to gain an understanding of the field level technology that operates the oil and gas business will hold the key to a successful career in the energy field.
Our goal is for students to develop their professional identity based on the facts that they know, not on facts that they act like they know. This can only be achieved when high school and college students are taught through state-of-the art curricula that provide a better understanding of geology, drilling and production technology, emerging technical issues, and environmental advancements.
High-Quality Oil & Gas Industry Courses Created by Top Educators for High School & College Students
TOP Energy Training is an educational consortium of top-ranked schools: Colorado School of Mines, Penn State University, and The University of Texas at Austin. Rooted in the education field, we use our combined resources, experience, and expertise to design and create the highest quality online training courses that teach the fundamental technology, science, and engineering of oil and gas operations. In other words, we understand how students learn and create courses that not only benefit aspiring oil and gas professionals but that they enjoy as well.
Trusted by The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin uses TOP Energy Training content in three of its academic departments, The Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, the McCombs School of Business, and the School of Law. Entry-level petroleum engineering students use the content to stay abreast of the latest oil field technologies necessary in their subsequent classes. At the business school, students in energy management classes are learning the history and terminology of the petroleum industry to knowledgeably engage with technical experts upon graduation. Finally, at the law school, the TOP Energy Training curriculum is being used to educate oil and gas law students to understand the technology behind the legal issues when they advise clients upon entering the workforce.
Colorado Mesa University Uses TOP Energy Training
At Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, CO, the petroleum engineering department is using TOP Energy Training to supplement their existing curriculum. During the summer of 2021, it is being used in the independent studies program to teach evolving technologies in drilling and environmental management.
TOP Energy Training courses help high school teachers go beyond the classroom
High school students aren’t often given the opportunity for hands-on training in the oil and gas industry. This leaves teachers with the challenge to find engaging ways to broaden the expertise their students are exposed to beyond standard lesson plans. TOP Energy Training’s online courses are so in-depth, students get a sense of what it would be like to actually be in the field! They are given a unique opportunity to explore a vast number of energy topics and further develop career interests that they would like to continue to pursue.
TOP Energy Training’s online courses can serve as textbooks or supplemental instructional material for advanced level high school educational programs in petroleum-related topics (e.g., earth sciences, petroleum technology, or environmental science). Subject matter experts — from both industry and university settings — deliver the STEM driven curriculum in an unbiased, science-based manner that gives high school students a better understanding of all facets of the oil and gas industry and career opportunities that exist after college.
Petroleum Science & Technology Institute Helps High School STEM Teachers
An example of how this training content is presently being used is through the Petroleum Science and Technology Institute (PSTI) sponsored by the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Each summer, the PSTI hosts high school STEM teachers to participate in a week-long workshop to learn the latest technologies being applied in the oil and gas industry. Taught by the university’s technology and science experts, these teachers get hands-on and practical exposure to the lessons using the TOP Energy Training content as a basis for the learning. Upon completion of the program, these teachers return to their high schools and share their knowledge with students and other teachers retaining access to the online material as a teaching aid.
TOP Energy Training’s professional development courses help prepare college students for their future
There is no better time to join the oil and natural gas industry! Energy companies are hiring and the jobs pay well, come in a variety of shapes and sizes and locations, and are interesting. With a hot industry comes competition. Students should leave college already possessing knowledge of the latest technological advancements and be prepared to demonstrate their critical thinking skills with future employers. It’s the step that will help them get ahead of the competition and, ultimately, become a better employee.
College students are welcome to take extra online courses on their own time. However, as students enter upper grade levels, their time becomes even more scarce. College professors should consider using online course content to augment a course textbook or as supplemental curriculum materials as a way to help their students gain the energy literacy needed to get a leg up in the job market. When choosing an online course, professors should make sure it does not advocate any public policy position and provides an unbiased source of instruction.
Entering a technical field can be daunting for an employee just starting their career. Augmenting college course work with a high-level online training program will provide the validation needed to be taken seriously as a new employee. Starting day one, a young employee will have all of the knowledge needed to smartly converse with upper-level scientists and engineers without feeling intimidated.
Considering a non-technical position within the oil and gas industry? That’s great, too. There are many job opportunities available and having an understanding of the basic terminologies and technologies will make you a more valuable prospect.
Either way, a well-educated oil and gas professional produces better stewardship of our natural energy resources, our environment, and public health throughout the world. TOP Energy is here to help!
Would you like to bring TOP Energy Training into your classroom?
Whether you are a high school teacher, college professor, or are a college student considering a potential career within the petroleum industry, TOP Energy Training has courses to meet your educational needs. We are confident that you will emerge from our courses more knowledgeable and better prepared to achieve your career aspirations within the ever-changing oil and gas industry. For more information on our courses, webinars and symposiums, contact us today or sign up for a training course!