AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Engineering Executive Education, a division of the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, will serve as the new home for the Petroleum Extension (PETEX) program, one of the world’s leading workforce education and training organizations for the oil and gas industry. PETEX had been operated by UT Austin’s Continuing Education and Extended Campus units since the 1970s.
The restructuring enables PETEX to leverage the Cockrell School’s world-class petroleum engineering thought leadership and technological insight, as well as its industry-changing research and established executive education programming while providing the school with an opportunity to strengthen its ties with the energy industry.
“We are thrilled to welcome PETEX to the Cockrell School,” said Eric Roe, executive director of the Texas Engineering Executive Education program. “PETEX is already a recognized leader in the field, and we believe that by merging its superior technical development programs with our vast community of petroleum engineering leaders, we can accelerate the development of the state’s workforce and, perhaps more importantly, help ensure that energy companies’ employees are well prepared for future industry challenges.”
The new PETEX-Cockrell School partnership now establishes a more comprehensive suite of training for the state’s oil and gas workforce, regardless of their skill levels — from basic training for oil field operators to advanced technical training for executives. Texas Engineering Executive Education plans to grow and invest in PETEX initiatives that will reach a broader population of oil and gas workers throughout the state and provide a new cutting-edge training curriculum for employees. Among the new programs planned are the PETEX Performance Well Control program, the Hazardous Location Core Competency program and several Practical Drilling Operations Gateway programs, which will offer professional certifications to help employees advance in their careers.
PETEX has been at the forefront of global learning solutions powering the oil and gas industry for 74 years, working with companies such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, Schlumberger, Saudi Aramco and many others to train their employees at all experience levels. Specializing in programs that train on new technologies and equipment and current industry standards and practices, PETEX offers educational opportunities with traditional, instructor-led, classroom courses as well as online courses to match the needs and availability of all students.
“As a result of our new partnership with Texas Engineering, PETEX will be able to provide better service to our state’s oil and gas industry, and that ultimately means that Texas’ economy will benefit as well,” said Coy Wilcox, director of PETEX. “Through this new alignment, PETEX can better fulfill its mission by merging advanced research discoveries coming from the Cockrell School with the skills required to implement advancements under practical conditions. The result is more value to the oil and gas industry.”
PETEX is headquartered at UT Austin’s J.J. Pickle Research Campus and also operates state-of-the-art centers in Houston and Odessa, providing hands-on training facilities in close proximity to many of the world’s leading energy companies.
