Propane Education and Research Council

Executive Summary

Based in Washington, D.C., the Propane Educational Research Council (PERC) promotes the safe, efficient use of propane gas as a preferred energy resource through research and development, training, and safety programs. Tasked by Congress with promoting the safe handling and use of propane products nationwide, PERC needed to realign and/or update training material for more than 10 different certification areas, many produced in both eLearning and print formats.  PERC initially approached Dashe to  realign and update the next course in their curriculum in an effort to find a new long-term partner.

Challenges

The biggest challenge was a large learning curve required to understand the myriad complexities of the propane industry and its distribution ecosystem. In addition, PERC produces and maintains the Certified Employee Training Program (CETP) for propane vendors across the country, so the material needed to be accessible to a whole range of audiences, from small operations using old computers without internet access, to huge players in the industry with large IT infrastructures.  

Our Solution

Dashe & Thomson worked successfully with PERC, a subject matter expert, and a task force of industry volunteers to realign and update the Basic Plant Operations CETP course to reflect current industry standards and best practices for adult learning. CETP is the propane industry’s premiere program for technical and operational training on how to safely carry out such propane-related activities as storage, handling, transportation, and distribution. As part of the realignment effort, Dashe & Thomson developed additional materials including an instructor guide and a series of classroom PowerPoint presentations to supplement the course.

How It Helped

The curriculum update and re-design that Dashe performed was exceptionally well-received by a demanding network of propane industry players. This led to Dashe helping PERC transition from a custom eLearning platform and LMS that was not maintainable to a sustainable system that is closer to a general standard for eLearning courses. Since these early engagements, PERC has engaged with Dashe & Thomson for many years of ongoing L&D consultation and development.