Saskatchewan high school students interested in pursuing a career in the oil and gas industry will soon be able to get a head start.
On Wednesday, the province announced that a course called “Oil and Gas 20” will be offered in the second semester of the 2024-25 school year. A course called “Oil and Gas 30” will follow in the 2025-26 school year. The courses include 50 hours of online theory and 50 hours of internship.
Premier Scott Moe said the courses were a good opportunity for children in the province.
“To see a career, a well-paying career and a good lifestyle that is available in their community or very close to them that they may not have known about before … I think it’s just a really good opportunity for both our students and the industry,” Moe said.
The Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre (Sask. DLC) is working with Canadian oil and gas exploration company Teine Energy to develop Oil and Gas 20 and 30. The government said other oil and gas companies in the province can sign the agreement with Sask. DLC – which would create more internship opportunities for students.
Moe said he was pleased that courses in the oil and gas sector would soon be offered, not least because demand for oil and gas is still high.
“While the federal government would like to believe that we are moving away from oil and gas, that is not going to happen anytime soon,” Moe said.
He said global forecasts suggest that oil and gas consumption will not decline until 2030 at the earliest.
“So if it’s a product that the world needs, we believe you should buy the most sustainable one… product that can be found. And the fact is that it exists in Saskatchewan today,” said Moe.
According to a provincial press release on Wednesday, Teine Energy is providing a total of $150,000 over two years to support the development of the new online courses and the coordination of internships for students in the oil and gas sector.
Teine has offices in southwest Saskatchewan, near Kindersley and Lloydminster.
In the press release, Jason Denney, President and CEO of Teine Energy, said the company is excited to be “helping to shape and advance the careers of talented young people” in Saskatchewan.
“Our goal with this program is to provide real-world experience, drive local job creation in the energy sector and enable Saskatchewan graduates to pursue well-paying and fulfilling careers in their home province,” said Denney.
