By LOU WHEELAND

Special to The Press

Representatives from Cabot Oil and Gas Corporation presented a $50,000 check March 10 to the Electromechanical and Mechatronics Technology program at Lehigh Career and Technical Institute, Schnecksville.

George Stark, Cabot Oil external affairs director, and William desRosiers, Cabot Oil external affairs manager, joined LCTI Executive Director Tim Rushton, Electromechanical/Mechatronics Technology teacher Greg Merchlinsky and several other school officials for the afternoon event.

State Reps. Peter Schweyer and Ryan Mackenzie, both avid career and technical education supporters, also attended the check presentation.

The first half of Cabot’s donation covers the cost of student uniform scholarships distributed in the fall.

More than 30 students qualified for the scholarships.

This is the second consecutive school year and the third since 2016-2017 that Cabot has funded uniform scholarships for LCTI students.

The remaining $25,000 donation will be used to purchase a new mechanical drives trainer for LCTI’s Electromechanical/Mechatronics Technology program.

The current trainer is 18 years old and Kurt Adam, the school’s career and technical education director, was taking steps to buy another one when Cabot stepped up with a donation.

“This is an important piece of equipment, and the timing was perfect,” Adam said. The new trainer is out to bid and LCTI is waiting on proposals from potential suppliers.”

Electromechanical/Mechatronics Technology is a growing career field in the Lehigh Valley and students who complete LCTI’s program are a hot commodity, Merchlinsky said.

A new mechanical drives trainer will help students master the skills they need to succeed, he explained.

“It really helps prepare them for entry level positions. When they first come out of this field, a lot of employers want them to have the mechanical skills to put together pulley and train drives.”

Cabot Oil and Gas Corporation is an independent company engaged in the exploration, development and production of natural gas properties exclusively onshore in the United States.

Cabot is engaged in extracting natural gas from Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale region.