At the September 16th County Commissioners meeting, the commissioners agreed to grant $5 million to the Bakken Area Skills Center (BASC) endowment fund. The request was sent to the commissioners after the Job Development Authority (JDA) Board decided that the goals of the BASC align with the JDA goals of economic diversification and workforce development. Dr. Wayne Heckaman, Director of the BASC, presented to the commissioners on the center’s importance to the area and everything they’ve been doing for its students.
The $5 million endowment will be established through the North Dakota Community Foundation and will consist of annual disbursements to the BASC from the fund. The funds will be used for launching new high-demand programs, equipping labs with industry-grade simulators and tools, and attracting top-tier instructors with competitive packages. Dr. Heckaman believes that by developing a skilled workforce locally, McKenzie County will be able to retain more students after they begin their careers. You can watch the presentation and discussion at the county commissioner’s meeting on their Vimeo page.
