Bossier Parish Community College has received approval for its oil and gas technology degree program.

The Board of Regents recently approved the Associate of Applied Science in Oil and Gas Technology and Certificate of Technical Studies in Oil and Gas Technology as the newest degree programs at BPCC.

BPCC and EnCana Corporation partnered to create the new degree.  In December, EnCana made a $100,000 donation to jumpstart the degree program. BPCC Chancellor Jim Henderson commented, “We take great pride in ensuring our programs are aligned with the needs of the industries we serve. The EnCana-BPCC partnership will help ensure the continued growth of our regional economy and provide our citizens with access to education leading to quality careers.” “The approval by the Board of Regents shows they are clearly supporting the need to develop the oil and gas workforce for Louisiana,” said Deborah West, EnCana’s Team Lead for Community Relations.  “It’s incumbent upon all of us to work together and create ways to bolster our workforce and provide a career path for our young people into an exciting industry.   EnCana is proud to be partnering with Bossier Parish Community College and we look forward to the new Oil & Gas Technology program.”

The Oil and Gas Technology programs will help prepare students for careers in the oil and gas industry. The oil and gas boom has resulted in increased demand for workers in this and other related positions. The new programs are, in large part, a response to the tremendous increase in job opportunities created by the exploration and increasing significance of the Haynesville Shale natural reserve in northwest Louisiana.

The degree program will do the following:

Provide graduates with the diverse skills necessary to fill the highly-specialized growth positions in the oil and gas industry;

Provide opportunities for interaction with the local oil and gas community so that real-world experience becomes part of the learning process;

Use existing course offerings from General Education and Political Science to assemble the needed degree requirements;

Create new courses in Oil and Gas Technology and OSHA Regulations;

Provide for natural transition to employment using both community service opportunities and internship requirements; and,

Provide a method for current oil and gas workers to improve both their knowledge and skills in oil and gas technology, so that they can be ready by experience, skill and knowledge to meet the demands of the industry.

BPCC anticipates enrolling students in the programs for the fall semester 2010. For more information about the programs, contact Dean Frank Viviano, Division of Mathematics and Technical Education, 318-678-6363 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Be first to comment this article

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.

Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6
AkoComment © Copyright 2004 by Arthur Konze - www.mamboportal.com
All right reserved