Posted on 08/27/2012 4:51:04 AM PDT by thackney
While the Eagle Ford Shale holds out the promise of tens of thousands of jobs, many job seekers aren’t making the cut, while qualified workers are facing a bottleneck in obtaining credentials for trucking jobs, experts said.
Employers say they’re rejecting 30 percent to 40 percent of all shale job applicants because they can’t pass a pre-employment drug test, said Leodoro Martinez, who moderated a panel discussion about workforce issues at last week’s Texas Economic Development & Energy Summit. The audience included energy industry officials, elected officials, public officials and economic development officials.
Drug use is “a family, school and community problem” that needs to be addressed but won’t be easily solved, said Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio.
Doug Ridge, director of employer initiatives for the Texas Workforce Commission, agreed, saying drug use “is a big, big problem, a major problem.”
The problem isn’t occurring among all applicants, Ridge said after the panel discussion.
“I’m not seeing it in engineers or the professions,” he said, but he said it’s a problem among applicants for jobs on rigs or as truckers.
An audience member asked if students are being told that they could land a great job in the shale — but only if they stay away from drugs.
Ridge cited a program called GeoFORCE, which encourages promising but at-risk students to avoid drugs while showing them the opportunities in the energy industry. The summer outreach program for eighth- through 12th-grade students for now is concentrating only on some Southwest Texas and Houston schools. It’s run by the University of Texas at Austin’s Jackson School of Geosciences.
“We hold that program out as a best practice,” Ridge said. “It’s a very impressive program, but it’s too small.”
A study by the University of Texas at San Antonio estimated that 20 counties in the Eagle Ford Shale supported 47,097 full-time jobs in 2011, a number that’s expected to grow to 116,972 full-time jobs by 2021.
For now, many of the jobs in demand are for truckers. And a pay range of $25,000 to $80,000 a year is attracting many applicants, according to Workforce Solutions Alamo officials. But even solid job applicants are being stymied by the licensing system, panelists said.
The whole process of getting the commercial driver’s license, or CDL, is backed up, said Martinez, who also is chairman of the Eagle Ford Consortium.
The Texas Department of Public Safety is responsible for handling commercial driver’s license applications.
DPS spokesman Tom Vinger said that DPS “is addressing the increased demand for CDLs with our existing resources, and our examiners are processing them as quickly as possible.” The department is expected to continue having to make do with existing resources. Rep. Rafael Anchía, D-Dallas, said that because of budget cuts, he isn’t hopeful that the Legislature will be able to increase funding to help expedite applications.
Vinger said applicants could help streamline the process by scheduling their skills test online.
“The skills test is a critical requirement to ensure the proper certification of a commercial vehicle driver, which ultimately impacts the safety of all travelers on the roadway,” Vinger said.
A standard hair follicle screen covers a period of approximately 90 days, but is susceptible to time variation depending on the growth rate of your hair. The hair sample is cut as close to the scalp as possible and the most recent 3.9cm (or 1.5 inches) are tested. It is possible to go back even further than 90 days since the time period is limited only by the length of the hair sample, but is standardized to a 90 day history.
What type of drugs can be detected in a standard hair test?
Cocaine (Cocaine & Benzoylecgonine), Marijuana, Opiates (Codeine, Morphine & 6-Monacteyl Morphine), Methamphetamine (Methamphetamine/Amphetamine & Ecstasy), and Phencyclidine (PCP).
These five drug classes are mandated for testing by the Federal Government.
I thought it was a car dealership as well, and no I am not high....
;-)
But even breathe a suggestion that state legislatures require pee tests to collect welfare, and their lobbyists come out of the woodwork.
Result: The taxpayers have to be clean, sober, and hardworking to pay for the leeches’ drugs...
"You have a serious worm infestation, and get a mammogram for mastitis"
A google search shows 13 days is the norm for a pee test.
I Googled urine test days, and the first result (#5 - http://www.drugtestingnetwork.com/urine-testing.htm) that wasn't about how to beat a test said this: [...]
Yeah but I think the source was selling the test. When we were tested, they asked us “What have you taken in the last two weeks?”.
What about your Google search? What search terms did you enter?
[...] leading us to believe that the results were ignored for valued employees.
IMHO, that's the only smart way to use drug testing.
My youngest worked on a railroad in Alabama some years back. The word got around there was going to be a "surprise" drug test, so one of his buddies had his girlfriend pee in a bottle, which he then strapped to his thigh to keep it warm.
After the test results came back, each employee was called in the office. When it came time for this guy, his boss said "I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that you're pregnant, the bad news is that you're fired."
It’s not just a problem there - even here in central KY the company I work for rejects a significant number of applicants due to failed drug tests.
After I retired, I hired on as a night stocker at Wal-Mart to get some pocket money. I worked my fanny off as we were always undermanned. We complained to the supervisor numerous times and were always told they were trying to hire more. We thought it was B/S and on the last occasion said so. The supervisor said, "OK, here's the results of our last hiring attempt: 30 people applied, 15 responded for an interview, three passed the drug test and one never showed up". Two weeks later, the two newbies quit. I left after three years and it was still going on.
Our “pee” tests only showed very recent drug use, up to 13 days but usually not that far. Drugs don’t stay in the system that long.
****************************************************
You can detect marijuana for up to 6 months ,, most drugs clear out in a day or two ... drug testing has pushed some people to use more dangerous drugs that are less likely to be found in a test or simply drink ..
LOL Apparently dog pee is one of the favorite methods of druggies to use thinking they will pass the test. The test people look for dog pee first of all.
At the risk of being flamed here just how is an employer has the right to make what seems to be a warrant-less search of someones body? And prior to drug screening, how did people manage to find jobs employers needed filled? I’d agree certain occupations require a clear head but this to me is just Big Brother. If it’s drug screening you want then every member of the House and Senate and POTUS should be tested too.
I always thought something was wrong with her. LOL I am surprised she could find her dog.
LOL
I can also believe that about Walmart. It was so obvious the girl I knew was stoned. You would be having a conversation with her the you weren’t. She was in and out.
At least you can find out if your dog has been in your stash.
The test is given only with the consent of the testee. If you don't want to take the test, then don't. If I don't want to employ you because of the refusal, I won't. Each party has a choice, more powerful for each in right-to-work states.
THC is bound up in fat cells and releases the THC indicator for 30 days.
What’s the practical point of knowing if someone took a toke 30 days ago???
Several years ago, knew a doctor who worked at a hospital that conducted drug screening. He said that whenever a “clean” sample was tested, it was kept for “the” sample for some company big shot’s test.
Interview their spouse or girlfriend, that’ll be a real good indicator of judgement.
I understand your point, though. Righand or roustabout that hasn’t smoked is about a rare as onen that never drank.
Would you hire someone who has been arrested for DWI?
A toke will not stay for 30 days. It takes repeated use. A daily smoker can test positive up to 50 days out but I’ve never met one who can quit for that long just to take a test.
And probably these days, the issue is pain pills, not weed.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.