Effective October 1, 2012, the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded a job training grant totaling $14.6 million to Bismarck State College, Fort Berthold Community College, Sitting Bull College, Turtle Mountain Community College and Williston State College. The five colleges have formed a consortium, led by BSC, to deliver training and support for participants pursing employment in many high-paying, high-skill jobs available in western North Dakota.
The consortium programs will support workers impacted by the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program, a Department of Labor program that provides benefits to workers who have lost jobs or earn less due to the impacts of foreign trade. The programs also are available to others interested in obtaining training in certain occupations needed to support the energy industry.
The grant doesn’t provide tuition assistance, but will help each college provide flexible and high quality, accelerated training programs with stackable credentials, which will enable participants to enter the workforce quickly. The stackable credentials offer a path for people to advance in their careers – providing steps toward additional accreditation or degrees.
The consortium, titled Training for Regional Energy in North Dakota (TREND), will expand current energy-related programs, enhance career navigation services and create some new training programs. TREND will focus on energy-related occupations, welding, CDL and building and construction trades.
Turtle Mountain Community College will offering its first Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program, Process Plant Technology supported through Bismarck State College, Welding and Advance Welding, along with Concrete Technology.
“This grant means that BSC and the other colleges included can do even more with our programs and the initiatives needed to sustain energy development in North Dakota,” said Kari Knudson, vice president, BSC National Energy Center of Excellence.
Katrina Delorme is the DOL-TREND Project Director for Turtle Mountain Community College.
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