The SGA Natural Gas Association (SGA), based in Dallas, Texas, has announced its inaugural 2026 Advance Partners, introducing a new enterprise-level model for workforce readiness across the natural gas industry. 

The partners include Equipment Control Company (ECCO), Heath®, Miller Pipeline, nGenue Software, and SWCA Environmental Consultants.

Designed to move beyond event-based training, the Advance Partnership establishes workforce development as core infrastructure. It integrates partner expertise into year-round, enterprise-scale training systems across the natural gas value chain, supporting safety, operations, engineering, leadership, and emerging industry needs.

Suzanne Ogle, President and CEO of SGA, said, “This is not incremental improvement, it’s future-proofing. Our members are no longer thinking in terms of one-off classes. They are investing in consistent capability across operations, safety, engineering, leadership, and emerging needs. The Advance model allows learning to be treated as infrastructure, not an event.”

The initiative responds to increasing demand, rapid hiring, retirements, regulatory complexity, and technological change across the sector. Paired with SGA’s enterprise Training Subscription, the Advance Partnership ensures all member workforces gain access to instructor-led training and certificate programmes, embedding learning where it matters most and allowing capability to scale efficiently.

Each Advance Partner brings specialised expertise: ECCO enhances safety and system performance, Heath® provides safety and methane detection solutions, Miller Pipeline delivers infrastructure experience, nGenue Software enables operational and financial management insights, and SWCA Environmental Consultants support planning, permitting, and compliance across energy projects.

The model is already being adopted by a diverse group of operators across North America, signalling a long-term shift in workforce development strategy. By 2027, SGA expects enterprise-scale training to become standard practice across its membership.

Learn how the Advance Partnership is redefining workforce readiness and building capability across the natural gas industry in the full story.

(Photo credits to Ketut Subiyanto/Pexels)