A three-year initiative will align training with today’s assessments, technologies, and Northeast requirements.

NGA is preparing the next major step in the modernization of its Operator Qualification (OQ) program: a comprehensive rebuild of the training that helps workers prepare to perform covered pipeline tasks safely and successfully. The three-year initiative is designed to bring instruction into closer alignment with updated assessments, evolving state regulations, and the equipment and technologies used in the field.

Why Operator Qualification Matters

Federal Operator Qualification rules require pipeline operators to maintain written programs for people who perform covered operations and maintenance tasks. Those programs must identify applicable tasks and define how workers are trained and evaluated so they can perform their work and recognize and respond to abnormal operating conditions.

Since the federal rule took effect, NGA’s member-created and member-governed OQ program has provided a written qualification plan, training, and assessments. Members may use the NGA program, develop their own, or combine the two approaches.

Why the Training Is Changing

Over the past three years, NGA has significantly updated its OQ program in response to regulatory mandates and member needs. Qualification assessments have advanced, but the instructional materials used to prepare the workforce have not kept pace. For example, the licensed Field Skills materials used by members for approximately eight years no longer fully reflect the modernized OQ program and national training resources have not consistently adapted to Northeast-specific regulatory requirements.

Modern assessments are only one part of a strong qualification system. Workers also need current, practical instruction that builds the knowledge and hands-on skills those assessments are designed to verify. Closing that gap is the next phase of NGA’s modernization work.

What the Modernization Will Deliver

Following a formal request-for-proposals process, NGA’s Training Steering Committee reviewed six vendor proposals and selected Astar as its partner to lead a three-year training modernization initiative. The project’s total estimated cost is $1.6 million.

The initiative will:

• Give NGA ownership of the training content and intellectual property, supporting ongoing updates and continuous improvement.
• Rebuild training materials so they align with each individual covered task.
• Expand hands-on learning, including equipment- and technology-specific practice and testing.
• Better reflect Northeast regulatory requirements and newly created covered tasks.
• Provide members with a more consistent connection between training and qualification assessments.

Looking Ahead

The result will be a modern, NGA-owned training program designed to evolve alongside regulations, assessments, equipment, and member needs. By pairing updated qualification tools with relevant, practical instruction, NGA will strengthen workforce readiness and support the safe, reliable performance of covered pipeline tasks across the region.