BOCC grants $5 Million to Bakken Skills Center
M.K. French
Farmer Staff Writer
The McKenzie County Board of Commissioners received a request this week for a $5 million contribution to establish a permanent endowment for the Bakken Skills Center, aiming to secure the institution’s future in perpetuity.
The proposal was presented by Daniel Stenberg, Director of Economic Development for McKenzie County, who introduced Dr. Wayne Heckaman, Director of the Bakken Skills Center. Stenberg emphasized the long-term vision behind the request. “The Bakken Skills Center has been something that we’ve been working towards for many years,” he stated, adding that the proposed endowment is crucial for “operational sustainability.” The funds would be managed by the North Dakota Community Foundation, with earnings used to support the center’s operations indefinitely, in a model “almost like the legacy fund of North Dakota.”
Dr. Heckaman detailed the center’s mission to provide “cutting-edge, industry-aligned training” for both high school students and adults. He highlighted the center’s role in addressing workforce gaps, focusing on the retention of local talent. “We have the workforce here,” Heckaman said. “It’s our current middle school students, our current high school students... they’re here.”
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