• The first career and technical education facility in western North Dakota has opened to provide new career-training options for high school students across the region.
• The Bakken Area Skills Center initially will teach skilled trades, automation and nursing, and has additional capacity for other types of training as area industry needs arise.
• The initiative included funding from public and private-sector sources, including a $100,000 grant from Marathon Petroleum’s midstream segment, MPLX.

High school students in western North Dakota are getting more opportunities to prepare for job fields with high workforce demand through the region’s first career and technical education facility. The recently opened Bakken Area Skills Center (BASC) is focused on providing training that matches specific needs identified by local industries.

The McKenzie County Public School District #1 (MCPSD1) oversees the 40,000-square-foot center in Watford City, which is positioned to become a resource for schools across a multi-county area. BASC currently includes facilities for teaching skilled trades, including construction, welding and auto/diesel mechanics, as well as areas for automation and nursing programs and additional space for future initiatives.

Funds for construction came from state and local sources as well as grants from companies with operations in the region. MCPSD1 Superintendent Dr. Steven Holen noted that support from employers is expected to go beyond funding to include input on shaping courses.

“Our vision is to establish advisory committees with our industry partners to allow for ongoing collaboration regarding the curriculum pathways and adjustments to the pathways over time as industries pivot,” Holen said. “We are also expanding opportunities to get employers in front of students in meaningful ways that reinforce the skills provided in their courses.”

Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s midstream segment, MPLX, is exploring possibilities for curriculum involvement with the center as an extension of its $100,000 grant to the project. MPLX’s support reflects its strong ties to the area and the economic growth resulting from the Bakken geological formation, which has one of the biggest deposits of oil and natural gas in the United States.

“MPLX has a large presence in the Bakken with crude oil and natural gas liquids operations. Our crude oil pipeline system has major hubs in McKenzie County,” said Gathering and Processing Operations Director Darren Snow, who has served as an MPLX liaison with project organizers. “There is a great need for skilled workers in our industry, and all of the training that BASC provides will help tremendously.”

McKenzie County Economic Development Director Daniel Stenberg pointed out that BASC brings additional potential to leverage post-secondary workforce training, such as efforts by Bismarck State College and Williston State College, further strengthening the region’s economic foundation.

“This facility can produce a pipeline of workers to keep the Bakken moving and our community better equipped to handle our workforce needs,” Stenberg said.