[April 22, 2015]

Technology Grant Awarded to Lackawanna College, Funds to Help Students Perfect Well Control Skills with Check-6's Well Control VI Training System

Check-6, the leader in accelerating human performance, announced today that its Well Control VI (Virtual Instructor) training system has been purchased by Lackawanna College School of Petroleum & Natural Gas through a $150,000 technology grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Bureau of Workforce Investment Administration and will be installed at the New Milford-based college by the end of Fall 2015.

Check-6 will deploy two Well Control VI workstations, as well as a 60-inch, high-definition touch screen monitor at the front of the classroom. As part of the monthly licensing agreement, Check-6 will donate the training system's Learning Management System, a value of $250,000.

The School of Petroleum & Natural Gas was established in 2009 when Lackawanna College identified the technical human resource needs of the oil and gas industry early in the development of the Marcellus Shale exploration in Pennsylvania. Lackawanna College has since become partners with Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation, a leading Marcellus Shale producer. In 2014, Cabot contributed a $2.5 million gift that directly fuded the School of Petroleum & Natural Gas.

"We are pleased that Lackawanna College has elected to purchase the Well Control VI with the grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Bureau of Workforce Investment Administration," said Jason McAlister, vice president of operations for Check-6 Training Systems. "This innovative, hands-on training system is playing a critical role in sustaining competency in today's oilfield, and will prepare the petroleum and natural gas students for their future careers and real-world well control situations in the Marcellus, and around the world."

Each Well Control VI system features academic lessons and simulation designed to keep students and actual rig crews sharp on the critical fundamentals of primary and secondary well control for both surface and sub-sea scenarios. Guided by the virtual instructor technology, Well Control VI enhances classroom instruction and adds hands-on simulation exercises to well control training and certification courses. The system also includes the Check-6 Learning Management System, which tracks and documents student performance for all academic and simulation training scenarios.

"Adding the state-of-the-art Check-6 Well Control VI to our curriculum will enhance our students' learning experience and provide hands-on well control practice, reinforcing our vision of preparing our graduates to be effective employees in the oil and gas industry from day one. Seventy percent of our graduates are hired by major exploration and petroleum, midstream and pipeline companies, and the Well Control VI training system will allow them to be even more effective in their future careers," said Rick Marquardt, Founding Dean of the School of Petroleum & Natural Gas.

After completing installation, Check-6 will provide a two-day "train the trainer" course for faculty to ensure Lackawanna College instructors and staff are both competent and confident in their ability to use the system. The company will also provide the college with software and lesson content access, upgrades and technical support.

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