Youth Leadership Guernsey Gets a Lesson on the Oil & Gas Industry

Cambridge, OH - Students participating in Youth Leadership Guernsey, a program sponsored by the Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce, received a lesson in economic development recently. The students, who are all juniors at Cambridge High School, Meadowbrook High School, John Glenn High School, or Buckeye Trail High School, meet once a month to develop their leadership skills."The students participating in this program are chosen based on their leadership potential," said Jennifer Vincent, Leadership Guernsey Administrator. "Our community partners such as Quanex Corporation, who graciously funds the program, and the various speakers we bring in every month do a great job helping our students develop the leadership skills they need to thrive."Speakers from Cambridge’s Office of Economic and Community Development, Cambridge/Guernsey County Community Improvement Corporation and the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP) gave students a glimpse of the work they do to create economic opportunities in the county.Among the speakers this month was David Hill, Chairman of OOGEEP. Hill detailed the economic opportunities the oil and gas industry has created in Guernsey County since the start of the Utica Shale boom.Guernsey County was the top oil producing county in the state of Ohio in 2019 according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. JobsOhio data shows the industry invested nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in the county in the first half of 2019 alone.All this investment activity has led to job opportunities for Guernsey county residents. The industry directly and indirectly supports thousands of jobs at every education level. The industry needs a wide variety of skills to function, and employs everyone from finance marketing professionals, to welders and construction workers.“The oil and gas industry offers opportunities to everybody, and has invested heavily in Guernsey County,” said David Hill, Chairman of OOGEEP. “I encourage students looking to enter the workforce right after high school to consider the industry, and for students planning to attend college or a trade school, OOGEEP offers a scholarship program to help pay the costs.”Students interested in applying for one of OOGEEP’s scholarships or learning more about careers in the oil and gas industry can do so by visiting https://www.oogeep.org/teacher-students/scholarships/.###