Penspen and Northumbria University, UK, have teamed up to launch a fully-accredited, on-line Distance Learning Certificate in Pipeline Engineering. The partnership is being lead by Penspen’s Team in Newcastle upon Tyne, whose reach extends across the UK, Middle East, Americas and Asia Pacific.

Penspen and Northumbria created the Postgraduate course, which is worth 33% of an MSc, after a recent review of training needs in the pipeline industry concluded that there is a skills and training crisis in the sector.

The course’s unique advantage is that it is fully flexible, with students able to learn via a wide range of options from public training courses delivered by Penspen; to the dedicated online training website which can be accessed by students across the globe.

The Certificate is made up of four modules worth 60 academic credits, meaning participants can ultimately go on to put their credits towards a Masters worth 180 credits if they so wish. Northumbria University will offer the first course in September 2011. The first module will be ‘Pipeline Integrity Assessment’. During academic year 2011-12, further modules will be added in Onshore Pipeline Engineering, Risk Management of Pipelines, and Materials and Corrosion.

All distance learning materials and tutors will be provided by Penspen, which has been raising the awareness of the need to address the skills shortage in our industry for many years

Professor Phil Hopkins of Penspen said,“The skills crisis in pipeline engineering is a real and pressing issue which needs addressing with more fully-accredited training courses which are accessible across the globe. We are delighted to have teamed up with Northumbria University to produce this distance-learning course which we hope will be a solid first step to addressing the increasing skills gap.”

The programme will be run by Northumbria University’s School of Computing, Engineering and Information Sciences.

Alan Riseborough, Employer Engagement Manager, said, “This new programme is a good example of Northumbria University’s collaboration with industry. Many of the lecturers involved in the programme are senior pipeline engineers with a wide experience in the industry. This Postgraduate Certificate course will boost the skill levels of engineers in the oil and gas business, continuing the development of a safe and experienced workforce and working environment.”

Tags: Penspen Group