Southern Works to Fill Gap in Mining Industry

Dr. Pamela L. Alderman, President of Southern WV Community & Technical College, with the Southern’s most recent mining students. The students received free training thanks to funding from the Department of Energy.

Southern WV Community & Technical College has recently trained nearly 100 students for employment in the mining industry.

Workforce availability has become a significant problem for the mining industry. Without an adequate workforce, the basic building blocks of the economy – energy and minerals – cannot be produced.

Southern has recently offered two mining surface mining classes, training 51 students, and two underground classes with 42 students.

Southern’s President, Dr. Pamela L. Alderman utilized funding from the Department of Energy to make these classes free to all of the students.

“Due to an uptick in mining, the need was there,” Alderman stated. “We were glad to be able to provide these area men and women this opportunity.”

This is the second year Southern has been able to offer the classes for free.

“The goal is to make college training accessible to these students for in-demand careers,” Alderman said.

Coal companies are already reaching out to Southern’s students. JenMar, with operations in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia, has been interviewing students and passing out applications.

Instructors Gary Neil and Minness Justice are teaching skill sets, such as mapping, safety requirements, laws, health considerations, mine rescue procedures, types and methods, operator rights, and the determination of air quality.

Southern is currently working on a mine management class, with more surface and underground classes planned.

The next 40-hour surface class will be held on August 7^th, with another to follow on October 16^th. The next 80-hour underground class will be held on September 11^th, with another to follow on November 13^th.

Students say they are appreciative of the training. 28-year-old Destiny Newsome of Lenore says her father was a coal miner her entire life. “I have the highest respect for this profession,” Newsome said. “I appreciate the fact that I am being respected as a female doing this line of work.”

22-year-old Charles Rosser of Man was surprised when he found out the classes were free. “I was working out of town, and the out-of-pocket expenses would have been too high for me to attend,” Rosser said. “This was the perfect option for me.”

Rosser said the classes have also exposed him to other programs that interest him that he didn’t know were available. “I like hands-on programs,” he said. “The lineman, CDL, and welding programs all interest me.”

Southern offers campuses and sites in Logan, Mingo, Boone, Lincoln, and Wyoming counties.

For more information about Southern and its mining classes, visit www.southernwv.edu or contact (304) 896-7489.