Providing high quality training for coal miners in state-of-the-art facilities is the goal of a new cooperative venture by the West Virginia University Department of Mining Extension, Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College and the West Virginia Coal Association.
The Academy of Mine Training and Energy Technologies is a joint public-private partnership started by a $200,000 seed grant from state surplus funds sponsored by the Legislative Oversight Commission on Workforce Investment for Economic Development.
Details of the partnership were discussed Monday (Aug. 8) during the West Virginia Legislature’s interim committee meetings on the WVU campus.
“A four week curriculum has been designed which will qualify individuals to work at either a surface or underground mine, and will meet all state and federal mine safety and training requirements,”said James Dean, director of Mining Extension at WVU .”Mining Extension is excited to be a partner in this new endeavor.”
The program also will offer enhanced apprentice level training courses along with specialized or advanced training for mine maintenance, electrical and supervisory personnel, he said.
The training plan also contemplates a simulated mine to facilitate the development of equipment operational skills and to replicate many of the routine support or construction tasks associated with mining in order to better prepare apprentice miners with enhanced skills.
As part of the initiative, two new central training facilities will be developed this fall-one in northern West Virginia and the second in the southern part of the state.
“Currently, WVU Mining Extension officials have to travel across the state to provide on-site training,”Dean said.”Having centralized academies in place will enhance the training and make it easier for the trainers.”
CONSOL Land Resources, Inc., a subsidiary of CONSOL Energy, Inc., is donating its Dolls Run facility in Monongalia County to the University to serve as the site of the West Virginia Coal Mine Training and Placement Center for the northern region of the state. An official dedication of the Dolls Run facility is being planned for this fall.
The second academy, operated by Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College , initially will conduct classroom training on campus for the southern region until a new training facility is built in that area.
Officials are hoping to secure federal grants from the U.S. Department of Labor to offset costs of developing and operating the academies.
Chris Hamilton of the West Virginia Coal Association said the industry is moving forward on the cooperative venture.
“There is an immediate need to train 1,800 to 2,500 miners in the next 18 months,”he said.
Over the next decade, Hamilton said the industry will need 5,000 to 7,000 more miners to keep up with demand and an expected wave of retirements since the average age of West Virginia coal miners is about 55.