STOLLINGS, W.Va. — Logan County school students now have a pathway to stay at home for their careers.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey joined Hope Gas officials, high school students, and others Thursday at the Ralph R. Willis Career and Technical Center in Stollings to announce a new energy workforce training program called Hope Pathways.
The program is open for high school juniors and seniors, providing them with the technical skills required for careers with Hope Gas and related sectors. The idea behind the initiative is to boost West Virginia’s workforce by keeping its homegrown talent closer to home. The program will provide Career Technical Education (CTE) courses, along with internships and apprenticeships, to develop students to become workforce ready.
Logan High School student Jaxon Diamond said the program is opening doors for his future.
“You start stressing out, wondering if you’re going to have to leave your family, leave your friends, and move hours away just to find a job,” Diamond said. “I love Logan County, I want to keep fishing on the weekends, and spending time with my friends. That’s why this new Utilities and Energy Program is a total game-changer for my life.”
Diamond said that the Hope Pathways program allows him to have the best of both worlds — a good career and a familiar place to call home.
“For my own personal life, this means stability, means I can buy my own truck, secure my own place, and support a family one day,” Diamond explained. “Best of all, it means I get to stay right here, close to the people that matter most to me. This program is not just a class on my schedule; it is a ticket to my real future.”
Fellow Logan student Jace Brown echoed Diamond, saying he won’t take the opportunity lightly.
“We are students who respect our history, we love our community, and we are ready to work hard for our futures,” Brown said. “What Hope Gas has done for us today has just given us a bridge. You have given us the keys to our own success.”
The program is a collaboration among the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE), the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE), the Ralph R. Willis Center, Logan County Schools, and Hope Gas for the betterment of Mountain State youth and economic growth.
“There is a direct connection between robust educational opportunities and a thriving business landscape,” WVBE President Paul Hardesty said. “Our students are hard workers and represent generations of skilled workers in our state. With this opportunity, we are showing them that you can remain in our community, raise your families and benefit from a great career path. Our CTE centers will continue to support the needs and demands of industry and are eager to collaborate with our business partners in all corners of the state.”
Hope Gas President and CEO Morgan O’Brien was on hand for the ceremony. He praised the outstanding students who will be entering the program for their hard work already and encouraged them to keep it up.
“These jobs, which I will promise all of you, that you go through this program and you’re a good student, take it serious, and you have all the values and work ethic that everybody here believes you have, there’s going to be jobs at Hope Gas,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien said Hope Gas careers begin at $80,000 a year, in addition to benefits. He added that it pays to be a welder, as Hope Gas welders start at $100,000 annually. The program and entry-level positions are only the beginning, O’Brien said, emphasizing that it is a career path, not just a job.
Morrisey said it was fitting for this program to be in Stollings.
“The truth is that Logan County is the heart and soul of energy in West Virginia. This county means a lot,” Morrisey said. “It’s suffered, long and hard, over many, many years, but it’s produced so much for the state of West Virginia and the country.”
Morrisey said his priority during his time as Governor, since day one, has been economic growth. To accomplish that, he said, the focus has shifted to the next generation of West Virginians.
“What type of skills are you learning to be ready for the jobs of tomorrow, over the next 20 years?” Morrisey said. “We know how critical the facility that we’re in today [Thursday] is going to play for that.”
The future of economic growth in the state depends on the youth of today, Morrisey explained. He said those individuals are going to help the state grow over the next 20-to-30 years.
“As we talk about these big plans of how we can get to 50 gigawatts of energy by 2050, which is going to take a lot of work,” Morrisey said. “You talk about that, and the need to unleash energy generation, production, and transmission, and do it the right way securely. That’s really critical. But you don’t get to do it without investing in your workers.”
Teaming up with Hope Gas fit in line with that vision, Morrisey said.
“There are also opportunities now, as energy development changes, for that roll of coal and also for natural gas. Those two can go together hand-by-hand to help make West Virginia that dominant energy force that we want it to be.”