Saskatchewan launches high school oil and gas courses to encourage students to join industry

WEYBURN – Saskatchewan high school students will soon be able to take Grade 11 and 12 level classes familiarizing them with the oil and gas industry. It’s in response to a growing need to attract young people to join the oil and gas workforce.

Premier Scott Moe, Minister of Education Jeremy Cockrill, and Teine Energy president and CEO Jason Denney made the announcement on June 5 on the floor of the Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Show in Weyburn.

The course will be offered online, through the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre (SDLC), which recently amalgamated various online schools in the province.

Oil and Gas 20 will be available to students starting in Semester 2 of the 2024-25 school year, followed by Oil and Gas 30 starting in the 2025-26 school year. These courses will be available to full-time online students, as well as high school students attending local schools throughout the province to supplement their in-person learning. Sask DLC registration for next school year is now open.

 

 

Moe said it was a “somewhat unique announcement for this industry, but I don’t think it’ll be unique for very long.”

He pointed out oil and gas contributes about 12 per cent to Canada’s gross domestic product, and over 400,000 jobs across the nation, contributing over $230 billion in exports to over 130 countries around the world.

“That’s what the Canadian industry, the Canadian oil and gas industry, is contributing to the health and wealth of Canadian families, Canadian communities. And I’m very excited to be here at the at … the Saskatchewan Oil and Gas show, together with Teine Energy and so many other partners and members of our governing caucus, to announce, I think, a significant step forward in training and encouraging people to be involved in this, also important industry in our province.

“First, the announcement today will respond to the needs of students and families, ensuring equal access to a wealth of online electives. This is what our Distance Learning Centre is providing to Saskatchewan families. It responds to students and families needs to access all of the education opportunities that we have, regardless of where you live. If you live in a northern community, if you live in a rural community, if you have an internet connection, you are able to access the Distance Learning Centre and explore different career pathways for while earning your high school diploma,” Moe said.

“Secondly, this enables our province to be responsive to and help us educate of the industries that are creating wealth in our communities, and provide that opportunity for our youth to participate in those industries in the years to come. And our government is committed to ensuring that our future workforce very much aligns with the needs of our of our local labor markets in our respective towns, villages, RMs and cities.”

• 0076 Latus only
  0076 Latus only
• 0073 SaskWorks-Pipeline Online
  0073 SaskWorks-Pipeline Online
• 0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan
  0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan
• 0064 Estevan OTS
  0064 Estevan OTS
• 0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher
  0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher
• 0062 TED_EPAC_Technology_30
  0062 TED_EPAC_Technology_30
• 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
  0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
• 0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket
  0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket
• 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
  0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
• 0052 Predator Inspections
  0052 Predator Inspections
• 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
  0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
• 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
  0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
• 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
  0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
• 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
  0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
• 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
• 0022 Grimes winter hiring
• 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
• 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
• 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
• 0011
• 0006 JK Junior
• 0002 gilliss casing services
  0002 gilliss casing services
• 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
  9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
• 9001

 

Moe spoke of “offering students the opportunities to explore future job opportunities in and around their community, well-paying job opportunities in and around their community while they are earning their high school credits. This is an opportunity that the DLC provides to Saskatchewan residents today, and is going to further provide Saskatchewan residents upon this announcement.

“So I am pleased to announce that through a new partnership between the Sask DLC, or the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre and Teine Energy, the new oil and gas high school courses. There are new oil and gas high school courses which will be created, and which will allow students to learn about this important industry that is not only vital to our province, but is vital to the success, the financial success of our nation and is vital to the world.

“Teine Energy is generously providing $150,000 over two years to support both the development of these new online courses and to support work placement coordination for students starting next school year.

“The 20 and 30 level courses will be combined, he said. “The 20 and 30 level courses will be a combination of 50 hours of online learning through the DLC, and 50 hours of in-person work placement. And I think that is so crucial to have that work placement so that students, our next generation, can see what is generating wealth and how we are actually producing the goods and the natural resources that we are in our province.

“So the work placements are made possible because of the incredible willingness and partnership of companies like Teine, who see the value in investing in that next generation in a community in this province and in the prairie provinces.

“Students will learn about energy exploration, production and environmental stewardship in our industry, as well as different trends that are occurring in the energy industry, in the oil and gas industry,” Moe said.

• 0076 Latus only
  0076 Latus only
• 0073 SaskWorks-Pipeline Online
  0073 SaskWorks-Pipeline Online
• 0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan
  0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan
• 0064 Estevan OTS
  0064 Estevan OTS
• 0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher
  0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher
• 0062 TED_EPAC_Technology_30
  0062 TED_EPAC_Technology_30
• 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
  0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
• 0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket
  0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket
• 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
  0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
• 0052 Predator Inspections
  0052 Predator Inspections
• 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
  0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
• 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
  0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
• 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
  0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
• 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
  0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
• 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
• 0022 Grimes winter hiring
• 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
• 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
• 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
• 0011
• 0006 JK Junior
• 0002 gilliss casing services
  0002 gilliss casing services
• 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
  9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
• 9001

 

“They’ll learn about safety in this industry, and they’ll learn also about the economic impacts and the technological advancements that this industry is driving. And you see all of that behind me, at this trade show, here, today, and outside at the outside pavilions, they’ll also learn about the many, many career paths that are available to them in this sector. And they are numerous, from engineers to laborers to scientists, the options are endless for students to find meaningful careers wherever they may choose geographically, but wherever they may choose as well within the scope of what our oil and gas production companies need.

“The options are really endless for our students and for that next generation to find a meaningful career in this industry, to find a meaningful career, quite likely, in the community where they were raised, and a career that will support them and any future family that they might have.

“So this new partnership, I would say, is a win, win for both students and industry. And I would throw in a third win there as well. It’s a win for our province and ultimately, the communities that make us it’s a chance for students to gain real life experience at a crucial point in their lives when they are making decisions on what they may or may not want to do after high school. It’s important that we open as many doors and provide as many opportunities for our students, which are our children, so that they can make informed decisions about what they might want to do in their future. It’s also a win for industry. They get to showcase the innovative work that they are doing with the workforce of tomorrow.

“And there I would put forward, and I’ll speak a little bit more about this at lunchtime. There is no industry that is pushing the boundaries of innovation like the Canadian oil and gas industry. We know that the one challenge this industry has is a labor market, a labor market that can keep pace with the growth and the innovation that we see behind me and we’ll see at this show over the next couple of days. And our government is committed to being able to work with industry to meet that labor market challenge that they have so that we can have a vibrant future in the oil and gas industry, ultimately in the lithium industry, the helium industry, as we expand our horizons, doubling down on the innovation again that you see behind me at this show.”

• 0076 Latus only
  0076 Latus only
• 0073 SaskWorks-Pipeline Online
  0073 SaskWorks-Pipeline Online
• 0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan
  0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan
• 0064 Estevan OTS
  0064 Estevan OTS
• 0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher
  0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher
• 0062 TED_EPAC_Technology_30
  0062 TED_EPAC_Technology_30
• 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
  0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
• 0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket
  0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket
• 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
  0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
• 0052 Predator Inspections
  0052 Predator Inspections
• 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
  0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
• 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
  0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
• 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
  0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
• 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
  0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
• 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
• 0022 Grimes winter hiring
• 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
• 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
• 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
• 0011
• 0006 JK Junior
• 0002 gilliss casing services
  0002 gilliss casing services
• 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
  9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
• 9001

 

Teine CEO

Teine Energy president and CEO Jason Denney said, “We got our start in Saskatchewan around 15 years ago, and we chose Saskatchewan because of its supportive business environment, oil and gas endowment and more, most importantly, its human resources. Teine is now the largest private oil and gas company in Canada.

“For decades, Saskatchewan has been the source of operational engineering and geologic innovators that have helped shape the Canadian energy industry into the fourth largest exporter in the world.

 

“Misleading narratives around the traditional energy business being in Sunset mode have hindered young people from entering what I believe is the most exciting and rewarding industry in Canada.

“Our industry is a major contributor to Canada’s high standard of living, and we will continue to contribute in a meaningful way for decades to come.

“Teine is excited to be part of shaping and supporting the careers of talented young people in the province of Saskatchewan. This program connects the energy industry with high school students as they begin to make career choices. Our goal for the program is to deliver real world experience, accelerate local energy-focused employment, and ultimately enable Saskatchewan grads to pursue well-paid, fulfilling careers within their home province.

“I want to commend premier Moe and his team for the engagement with industry on this file, and the speed in which this program moved from an idea into reality. Saskatchewan is a is a bright light in Canada at the moment, leading with less bureaucracy and more, get it done attitude.”

• 0076 Latus only
  0076 Latus only
• 0073 SaskWorks-Pipeline Online
  0073 SaskWorks-Pipeline Online
• 0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan
  0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan
• 0064 Estevan OTS
  0064 Estevan OTS
• 0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher
  0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher
• 0062 TED_EPAC_Technology_30
  0062 TED_EPAC_Technology_30
• 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
  0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
• 0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket
  0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket
• 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
  0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
• 0052 Predator Inspections
  0052 Predator Inspections
• 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
  0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
• 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
  0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
• 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
  0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
• 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
  0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
• 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
• 0022 Grimes winter hiring
• 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
• 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
• 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
• 0011
• 0006 JK Junior
• 0002 gilliss casing services
  0002 gilliss casing services
• 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
  9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
• 9001

 

Minister expects more companies will join in

Cockrill told Pipeline Online he expected other oil and gas industry companies would “join the club.”

He said, “I think we will. It’s just a matter of timing with several companies. But even, just on the floor of the show here, we’ve already talked to several companies who are say, ‘How can we participate in that?” we want to get into the work placement world through this SDLC. And we are, we’re very interested in that.

Cockrill said, “The idea originally came from Teine Energy. And I guess the courses that we’re developing at the 20, or 30 levels are really more, I would say, general in nature. But, certainly if there’s companies that are interested in trying to partner with the DLC on how we can do work placements.

“Again, I think the really the whole thing is promoting the industry as an option for students in high school, right?”

Can a student going to a conventional high school choose to take this class through DLC? Cockrill said, “Absolutely.”

“With Sask DLC, the majority of students that we’re working with are part-time students who are students in a brick and mortar school, somewhere in the province, whether it be in a larger city or a small community, who are looking to add to their high school experience through elective courses.

“I think about, again, the communities that I represent. North Battleford and Battleford. This would be a great complement for a student attending John Paul II Collegiate or North Battleford Comprehensive to say, you know, I’m interested in getting into the oil and gas sector after high school. Obviously, I’m going to take most of a full load at the Comp or at JP II, but I’m going to take the oil and gas 20 course through the DLC, get some experience, get a work placement opportunity. I think that it’s a great opportunity for students.”

What about students who are not in west central Saskatchewan, where Teine operates? Cockrill replied, “So that’s where we do have some work to do with industry partners. I’m quite confident that we are going to have work placement opportunities all around the province, through this.

 

“Obviously, certain companies just need to go through processes to join the partnership, processes internally, to join in. But again, I’m very confident in the next several weeks and months ahead of second semester of next year, when that’ll be offered for the first time, I’m quite confident that we’re going to be able to work placement opportunities all around the province.”

Cockrill hopes this is just a start. He noted, “We have some really successful partnerships that we’re already seeing with the auto dealers association of the province, the auto body repairs association of the province, the ag tech, ag equipment dealers. We really see this as an opportunity to support our province’s major industries, by getting kids opportunities to have work placement and some theory as well in the same course, earlier and earlier in their education so that they can see the opportunities that are available right here in our province.”

• 0076 Latus only
  0076 Latus only
• 0073 SaskWorks-Pipeline Online
  0073 SaskWorks-Pipeline Online
• 0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan
  0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan
• 0064 Estevan OTS
  0064 Estevan OTS
• 0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher
  0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher
• 0062 TED_EPAC_Technology_30
  0062 TED_EPAC_Technology_30
• 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
  0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
• 0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket
  0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket
• 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
  0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
• 0052 Predator Inspections
  0052 Predator Inspections
• 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
  0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
• 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
  0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
• 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
  0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
• 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
  0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
• 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
• 0022 Grimes winter hiring
• 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
• 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
• 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
• 0011
• 0006 JK Junior
• 0002 gilliss casing services
  0002 gilliss casing services
• 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
  9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
• 9001

 

Pipeline Online asked, “One of the practical considerations is that most oilfield stuff is out of town, often an hour drive just to get there. How do you do an hour work placement in the day for stuff that’s out of town?”

Cockrill replied, “Yeah, good question. And I think that’s where we’re going have to work with Teine and the other companies that join in the partnership to figure out how we can be creative that to obviously make the workplace and opportunities work for industry, but also make it work for students. And so, I think this is where Sask DLC, our goal is to be flexible, both on the student side and on the partnership side. So I’m confident that we’re going to get to a spot that’s going to work for both.”

For areas far away from the oilfield, like Regina, Saskatoon, Humboldt or Yorkton, could they do work placements over Easter break or something like that? Cockrill said that was a good suggestion. He said if you’re in Weyburn or North Battleford or Lloydminster, you’re in the oilfield’s backyard. “But the reality is that this industry has a lot of opportunities, even if you grew up in Regina and Saskatoon. And so, you know, I think about some of the companies here at this show, they have offices Some Saskatoon, Regina as well, to some extent. We’re going to work to be creative and be flexible.”

He added that walking the show with some of his MLA colleagues here, “There is great interest from industry in terms of how they can participate in this and how we can access the workplace and opportunities to Sask DLC. I would say if you’re interested in joining, contact Teine to understand kind of what they were looking at, and what their kind of genesis of the idea was. But more importantly, contact the Sask DLC. We want to work with industry, and we want to figure out ways that we can show kids the incredible opportunities here.”

 

• 0076 Latus only
  0076 Latus only
• 0073 SaskWorks-Pipeline Online
  0073 SaskWorks-Pipeline Online
• 0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan
  0067 PFM SaskWorks Payroll Investment Plan
• 0064 Estevan OTS
  0064 Estevan OTS
• 0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher
  0063 Turnbull Excavating hiring crusher
• 0062 TED_EPAC_Technology_30
  0062 TED_EPAC_Technology_30
• 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
  0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
• 0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket
  0058 Royal Helium Steveville opens anonymous rocket
• 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
  0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
• 0052 Predator Inspections
  0052 Predator Inspections
• 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
  0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
• 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
  0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
• 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
  0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan
• 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
  0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
• 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
• 0022 Grimes winter hiring
• 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
• 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
• 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
• 0011
• 0006 JK Junior
• 0002 gilliss casing services
  0002 gilliss casing services
• 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
  9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
• 9001