HARRISBURG, PA — The Shapiro Administration, in collaboration with the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), has unveiled a groundbreaking registered apprenticeship program. Designed to equip workers with essential skills for plugging oil and gas wells, this initiative promises to tackle environmental issues while offering workers secure, well-paying jobs.
The apprenticeship will be conducted at the United Mine Workers of America Career Centers, Inc.’s Ruff Creek Training Center in Greene County. Governor Josh Shapiro recently visited the center to underscore bipartisan efforts in workforce development. This program, known as the Gas Well Capping Technician program, marks the UMWA’s first registered apprenticeship venture. It aims to address the vast number of orphaned and abandoned wells in Pennsylvania—estimated at over 350,000—that contribute significantly to methane emissions.
Jessica Shirley, Acting Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), emphasized the urgency of the issue. “We have a huge abandoned well problem in Pennsylvania,” she stated. “Sooner or later, every orphaned well is going to be a threat to the environment and public health, and we need people with the skills and training to plug the wells and restore the surrounding landscape.”
The program’s curriculum, officially recognized by the Apprenticeship and Training Office (ATO) within the Department of Labor & Industry (L&I), covers safety, well capping techniques, cement properties, and land remediation. L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker highlighted the initiative’s dual purpose: addressing industry needs while equipping workers with vital skills. “The Registered Apprenticeship Occupation of Well Capping Technicians program offers a solution to both of those goals, by providing real career opportunities for individuals dedicated to the environmental and public health of our Commonwealth,” she said.
Cecil E. Roberts, UMWA International President, emphasized the program’s potential to alleviate unemployment in Appalachian coal mining areas. “This is a positive step toward addressing unemployment in Appalachia’s coal mining communities,” Roberts noted. “The program will not only help stop leaking gas and oil wells but also provide workers with family-sustaining wages.”
Clemmy Allen, Executive Director of the UMWA Career Centers, Inc., expressed enthusiasm about the program’s impact. “The Well Capping Technician is one of the in-demand occupations in which dislocated coal miners and their families, as well as all those residing in rural mining communities of Appalachia, can train for without relocating,” Allen said. “We are proud to sponsor this program.”
This initiative represents a significant advancement in both environmental protection and economic revitalization for Pennsylvania’s rural communities, providing a sustainable path forward for workers transitioning from fossil fuel-based industries. The DEP website offers more information about the orphan and abandoned well plugging program.
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