Every summer, I volunteer at a business camp for high school students in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. For nearly two decades, the parking lot outside our hotel has served as an unorthodox economic indicator.
In the early years, the lot was nearly empty when we returned each evening – you could always find an open parking spot near the door. Then the Marcellus Shale boom arrived. And by 2012, good luck finding a spot at all! White work trucks filled the lot and spilled into the neighboring shopping center. Many trucks carried license plates from Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.
The economic activity was welcome, but the sight also produced understandable frustration. Pennsylvania was experiencing a major energy development, yet too many workers appeared to come from somewhere else. Why were Pennsylvanians not filling more of those jobs?
The explanation was straightforward. The industry had grown faster than Pennsylvania’s workforce pipeline. Modern shale development required welders, electricians, equipment operators, technicians, engineers, and safety professionals. Pennsylvania had the resource and a proud energy heritage, but the modern shale workforce needed to expand tenfold, overnight. In too many energy-related occupations, the pool of trained workers simply was not large enough.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member