In the energy industry, accurate and precise measurements are vital, and it’s the measurement technicians’ role to support the integrity of their company’s contracts. While the natural gas sector boasts a wealth of training resources, certain areas, like liquid measurement, are lacking.
As an organization dedicated to advancing the industry, the Gas Training Association (GTA) provides opportunities for Joint Projects. Joint Projects bring together companies facing a shared challenge or specific need with the goal of creating cost-effective solutions through collaboration. A recent project within GTA was focused on liquid measurement and brought together multiple member companies to develop the training.
Initiating the Liquids Project
The Joint Project for liquids started when two member companies of GTA recognized the need for liquid measurement training and proposed starting the project to meet this need. After establishing a team, the first goal was to brainstorm what topics needed to be covered in the liquids curriculum and the priority of developing each topic.
The plan was to work on two training courses each year, incorporating different members’ experience in liquid measurement. To develop training on any specific topic, GTA’s goal is to have at least two subject-matter experts (SMEs) from each member company with expertise on the topic.
Since this project started, curricula on the fundamentals of liquid measurement, electronics, and meter proving have been created, with future plans to develop training in liquids sampling, proving, shipping, and more.
If you’re interested in seeing available liquids courses, view our liquids curriculum map and our curriculum map for WBT courses.
“With GTA having so many member companies participating, you get a general overview of what everybody is doing and getting closer to a standard. The more companies that participate, the more diverse input that we get on how others are handling these trainings and tasks.”
Prin. Engineer & Manager, Measurement Tech Services
GTA Member Company
Benefits of Joint Projects
Industry Advancement
By utilizing members’ expertise and knowledge on various topics, Joint Projects contribute to the advancement of industry practices. With the absence of standardized training for certain areas in the industry, Joint Projects can provide the foundational training for technicians and fill information gaps among members.
Diverse Perspectives
As many companies and individuals participate in Joint Projects, a diverse range of perspectives are available. These diverse perspectives allow for a larger breadth of information to be shared to which individual companies would not otherwise have access.
Resource Optimization
By pooling resources and distributing the workload, Joint Projects maximize efficiency within GTA for the members. As more people are involved, more information is shared, leading to comprehensive training materials.
Joint Projects offer ample opportunity for collaboration and collective efforts to address knowledge and training gaps in the industry. Through GTA’s focus on liquid measurement, the organization has made significant progress in developing training that the industry lacks in that area. As other gaps in training are recognized, GTA embraces the opportunity for future projects among members.
If you’re interested in accessing training or learning more about Joint Projects, contact GTA today.
