The following article was first posted on the Hess Corporation's intranet, where the company's 12,000 employees learned more about the partnership between Hess and BSC. All article and photo credits, Hess Corporation.
![Kim Reiss]()
Kim Reiss has two grown children and decades of work experience, but until recently she wasn't trained for the oil and gas industry job she really wanted. Thanks to a job shadowing partnership between Hess and Bismarck State College (BSC) in North Dakota, Reiss spent 85 hours at oil fields around the North Dakota Bakken formation putting college studies to practical use and getting a taste of her new career.
Reiss, a dispatcher for an oilfield services company in North Dakota, is fulfilling a longtime dream to work in energy production. In the near future, she hopes to trade her current position for one as a lease operator, traveling from location to location for a company like Hess to monitor, troubleshoot and ensure the safe operation of wells.
Her goal is finally in sight, and she credits Hess and the job shadowing it provided for helping her reach it. "It was an awesome experience," said Reiss, one of two BSC students who participated in the newly launched partnership.
The other participant, Kelcie Beckman, was also enthusiastic, noting, "Everyone was so welcoming and very knowledgeable and helped me take a large step closer to my goals."
Hess employees at Minot and the company's Killdeer, N.D., field office worked with professors at BSC to coordinate the new job shadow program. It's designed to give students working on their associate's degrees in Petroleum Production Technology a taste of the real world by pairing them with seasoned employees who work in their areas of interest.
Petroleum Production Technology is a relatively new course created in part because of the growth of the energy industry in North Dakota. It provides an overview of issues in the petroleum industry, including safety; mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and control; print reading; troubleshooting and chemical technology associated with various petroleum operations.
![Kelcie Beckman]()
Both Beckman, who enrolled in the program shortly after high school, and Reiss, an adult learner eager for new opportunities, complete their studies this month.
Like most students who enroll in Petroleum Production Technology, they did most of their coursework online. "There is no way I could have traveled to Bismarck to attend class and still work full-time," Reiss explained. She and Beckman completed their studies while living in Dickinson, about 100 miles west of Bismarck.
Because they didn't have the opportunity to interact with students and professors on campus, spending time with seasoned professionals in the oil field is especially important, said Chere Allard, an assistant professor at BSC's National Energy Center of Excellence. BSC requires students preparing for careers as technicians or operators to have job-related training and hands-on experience.
"These students didn't get to spend time in our on-campus labs, so job shadowing is an important way to enhance their educational experience. It reinforces what they've learned and gives them a better understanding of things like production processes and equipment operation," she said.
Allard described Julie Vetter, Training Supervisor for Hess in North Dakota, as instrumental in helping to get the partnership between BSC and Hess off the ground. "It has been a great relationship," Allard said.
But the students aren't the only ones benefitting from it, said Eric Lefor, Production Supervisor in the Killdeer office. "It's a good way for us to get to know a little more about potential employees. And if they actually apply here and get a job with us after graduation, then they'll have a good start on the training process," said Lefor, who worked closely with Vetter to firm up the program.
As Cody Dukart, Operations Superintendent, South of River, explained, "It's just another way for us to Grow Our Own Timber. We get the kids familiar with our company and get the Hess name out among the people who will be looking to start careers."
In addition to Lefor, Vetter credited Dukart and Joey Kitchens, Maintenance Superintendent, South of River, for helping to make the program a success and expose the students to a broad range of activities.
"They all realized the importance of building a pipeline of talent with a local college to help support our continued growth," she said. "Their commitment to this program, as well as our new field internships, will help differentiate us from our competitors."
Before starting the job shadow program, Beckman and Reiss attended safety orientations. Beckman said that was impressive because it underscored a critical lesson she learned in school: That on the oil field, nothing is more important than safety. "That's what they taught us -- and Hess proved it," she said.
Kim Reiss has two grown children and decades of work experience, but until recently she wasn't trained for the oil and gas industry job she really wanted. Thanks to a job shadowing partnership between Hess and Bismarck State College (BSC) in North Dakota, Reiss spent 85 hours at oil fields around the North Dakota Bakken formation putting college studies to practical use and getting a taste of her new career.
Reiss, a dispatcher for an oilfield services company in North Dakota, is fulfilling a longtime dream to work in energy production. In the near future, she hopes to trade her current position for one as a lease operator, traveling from location to location for a company like Hess to monitor, troubleshoot and ensure the safe operation of wells.
Her goal is finally in sight, and she credits Hess and the job shadowing it provided for helping her reach it. "It was an awesome experience," said Reiss, one of two BSC students who participated in the newly launched partnership.
The other participant, Kelcie Beckman, was also enthusiastic, noting, "Everyone was so welcoming and very knowledgeable and helped me take a large step closer to my goals."
Hess employees at Minot and the company's Killdeer, N.D., field office worked with professors at BSC to coordinate the new job shadow program. It's designed to give students working on their associate's degrees in Petroleum Production Technology a taste of the real world by pairing them with seasoned employees who work in their areas of interest.
Petroleum Production Technology is a relatively new course created in part because of the growth of the energy industry in North Dakota. It provides an overview of issues in the petroleum industry, including safety; mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and control; print reading; troubleshooting and chemical technology associated with various petroleum operations.
Both Beckman, who enrolled in the program shortly after high school, and Reiss, an adult learner eager for new opportunities, complete their studies this month.
Like most students who enroll in Petroleum Production Technology, they did most of their coursework online. "There is no way I could have traveled to Bismarck to attend class and still work full-time," Reiss explained. She and Beckman completed their studies while living in Dickinson, about 100 miles west of Bismarck.
Because they didn't have the opportunity to interact with students and professors on campus, spending time with seasoned professionals in the oil field is especially important, said Chere Allard, an assistant professor at BSC's National Energy Center of Excellence. BSC requires students preparing for careers as technicians or operators to have job-related training and hands-on experience.
"These students didn't get to spend time in our on-campus labs, so job shadowing is an important way to enhance their educational experience. It reinforces what they've learned and gives them a better understanding of things like production processes and equipment operation," she said.
Allard described Julie Vetter, Training Supervisor for Hess in North Dakota, as instrumental in helping to get the partnership between BSC and Hess off the ground. "It has been a great relationship," Allard said.
But the students aren't the only ones benefitting from it, said Eric Lefor, Production Supervisor in the Killdeer office. "It's a good way for us to get to know a little more about potential employees. And if they actually apply here and get a job with us after graduation, then they'll have a good start on the training process," said Lefor, who worked closely with Vetter to firm up the program.
As Cody Dukart, Operations Superintendent, South of River, explained, "It's just another way for us to Grow Our Own Timber. We get the kids familiar with our company and get the Hess name out among the people who will be looking to start careers."
In addition to Lefor, Vetter credited Dukart and Joey Kitchens, Maintenance Superintendent, South of River, for helping to make the program a success and expose the students to a broad range of activities.
"They all realized the importance of building a pipeline of talent with a local college to help support our continued growth," she said. "Their commitment to this program, as well as our new field internships, will help differentiate us from our competitors."
Before starting the job shadow program, Beckman and Reiss attended safety orientations. Beckman said that was impressive because it underscored a critical lesson she learned in school: That on the oil field, nothing is more important than safety. "That's what they taught us -- and Hess proved it," she said.