In 2008, natural gas industry leaders banded together to create foundational measurement training that would be accessible to the entire industry. The result was the Gas Training Association (GTA). What sets GTA apart is that all curriculum is developed for the industry by the industry, from the development of courses to deployment.

Becoming a member of GTA is more than getting access to a library of courses; it’s a platform to advance the industry and your network and improve your training. Here are 4 benefits of being a GTA member.

Knowledge Transfer

The subject-matter experts developing the curriculum have decades of experience. These experts can bring lessons they’ve learned from their job specifics and implementing training programs, thus leading to well-rounded courses. Volunteers pool together their experiences to determine what is vital for technicians to know and what is standard across the industry.

“It doesn’t completely replace what organizations need for their specific policies and procedures. But to get them 80% of the way there for implementation and ready to consistently train and engage their technical staff, it is by far the best way to do it.”

Gary Hines, Current Chairman

Outside of having experts develop the content, information is documented in a central place. As experts retire, their contributions are left behind, and member companies can still access the curriculum without the worry of losing materials.

Establish Industry Connections

Collaboration is a core value of GTA. Industry professionals who participate can network with individuals all over the country. Members have noted that they wouldn’t have met these people in other circumstances. Previous board president and chairman, Shahab Saeed, recognizes that some of the most amazing people he met were through his service with GTA.

“What has really touched my heart is developing these new friendships while serving on an organization that really wants to make a difference in terms of our communities and in the new generation coming up. As well as being able to keep the industry going because it is vital.”

Shahab Saeed, Former Board President and Chairman

Low-Cost, Flexible, and Customized Training

With GTA training, members spend less time developing curriculum. Courses are designed with industry standards in mind, allowing companies to focus on how these courses apply to their unique processes. All content can be modified to suit different standards or specific equipment. In addition, 3 different training methods are available (web-based, instructor-led, and skill-builders), meaning training can be a refresher, pre-requisite, or just-in-time, depending on employees’ needs and learning styles.

Smaller companies may not have the capacity or budget to build full training programs from start to finish. By utilizing GTA training, they get training developed by industry experts who have served at larger gas companies. The content is readily available to be implemented upon joining GTA.

Applicable to Everyone, Not Just Operations

As a member of GTA, courses can be implemented company-wide. Utilizing industry introductory courses, employees not in operations can better understand their company and industry. In one situation, a member company had engineers take courses to understand general principles and how they apply to the industry. Allowing employees to understand how measurement applies to the industry can facilitate team building and eventually turn them into company advocates.

When becoming a GTA member, it’s not just about the materials received. It can have an impact on your entire company, from those newly hired to those in other departments. Contact GTA today to learn more about becoming a member.