Taft Oil-Technology Academy

摘要

One of the biggest challenges for the oil and gas industry is finding qualified workers who have the technical skills to get the job done. The best way for high-producing areas to do this is to "grow their own." Over a decade ago the Taft Union High School District did just that — in partnership with the California Department of Education and several oil and gas companies, the district established the Taft Oil-Technology Academy in 2001 to prepare students for possible careers in the oil industry. All students volunteer to enter the program and must go through an extensive application, screening, and interview process during their ninth-grade year to be accepted. The sequential program begins in the sophomore year and teaches rigorous classes related to oil and gas for the next three years.