BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Doug Burgum today joined leaders from the North Dakota Tribal College System to announce a new apprenticeship program developed in partnership with Hess Corporation to improve educational and employment opportunities for Native Americans across the state.

Hess announced that it will invest $12 million to provide tuition assistance, stipends and other support for establishing apprenticeships in a variety of industries. The apprenticeships will be designed by each of the five tribal colleges in North Dakota based on the local job market and needs of their tribal communities. Halliburton and Nabors Industries also will each invest $1 million in the new apprenticeship program. Representatives of the three companies attended today’s press conference at the Capitol along with the five tribal college presidents and chairs of two of the five tribal nations with whom North Dakota shares geography.

“Public-private partnerships can be transformative, and the program being launched today is another great example of our state’s private-sector partners believing and investing in the future of North Dakota,” Burgum said. “With today’s announcement, Hess, Nabors, and Halliburton are providing essential resources for our tribal colleges to invest in students in a way that can spark generational change and empower people, improve lives and inspire success.”

Officials said the new program will provide tribal college students with on-the-job skills training through college work study, internships and apprenticeships, following the “earn and learn” model of the apprenticeship program currently in place at Lake Region State College. The new apprenticeship program is scheduled to launch in January 2023.

More information about the program and partners is available here.