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Presented by Bob Firth, Dean of The School of Engineering & Construction Technologies

Our education-to-workforce pipeline is leaking, badly. Finding talent has become a major struggle that is even more difficult for the skilled trades. Participants will learn about resources and strategies OSUIT has to build internal and external talent pipelines. Hands-on demonstrations will be offered through our GoLab—a mobile classroom that can deliver customized training on-site to any business.

Food from Albert G's will be provided by OSU for this lab! Come hungry :)

At this lab you will learn:

• How to capitalize on free resources at OSUIT.
• Strategies for building the talent pipeline with students pursuing postsecondary education.
• Using customized training to attract potential workforce.
• OSU in Tulsa.

Bob Firth is the Dean School of Engineering and Construction Technologies at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. As Dean, Bob is responsible for 12 programs, 26 faculty members, 800 students, and a staff of 8. Part of the 12 programs is the Pipeline Integrity Program, where Bob still teaches.

Bob is a forty-year veteran of the Energy Industry. Mr. Firth began his career as a maintenance person at Northern Natural’s Beaver, Oklahoma Mainline Station. He subsequently held various positions in operations at Northern, where his last job was as District Manager covering western Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle areas. In 1985 he became an owner of Panda Resources, Inc., a start-up mid-stream energy company that, in 1989, was honored by Inc. Magazine as the 24th fastest-growing company in America.

In addition to his experience with Northern Natural Gas, Mr. Firth has held officer positions in the operations, engineering, and commercial business segments of Panda Resources, Transok, ScissorTail, CMS, Caballo, CBE, and Spectrum Field Services. Bob, the former President and CEO of publicly traded Atlas Pipeline Partners (NYSE: APL), now Targa, rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on September 13, 2006.

He has served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for seven years and for 21 years has been an adjunct professor in Management, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership at Upper Iowa University. 

Mr. Firth holds a bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Business from Upper Iowa University. He is pursuing his doctorate in Higher Education Leadership at Liberty University.

Mr. Firth has been a keynote speaker for the Tulsa Pipe Liners, International School of Hydrocarbon Measurement, Natural Gas & Electric Association of Oklahoma, and numerous Energy Industry Meetings and Conferences.