The Kenai Peninsula College has a nationally renowned Process Technology Program and BlueCrest Energy has hand picked recent graduates for their Cosmopolitan Unit project in Anchor Point.
KPC’s Jeffrey Laube, Assistant Professor of Process Technology, says it all began after BlueCrest representatives met students in the program during the 2015 Industry Outlook Forum.
Laube: “They the made arrangements to come for a tour of the campus in 2015 and eventually they did do interviews on campus December 3, 2015. And I’ve heard, as of today, that they have made their offers. My students have been calling me and telling me that they were one of the ones that got picked.”
Professor Laube says the oil company was planning to hire four employees and as of Tuesday afternoon he had heard from three students who had gotten offers.
BlueCrest is expecting oil production from a previously drilled well in April, with plans for additional drilling tentatively scheduled to begin in March or April depending on changes to state tax structures.
Laube says KPC’s staff is the characteristic that sets the local program above others around the nation and produces quality and professional graduates.
Laube: “Almost all of us that teach there, used to work out at Agrium before it closed. That process of making both ammonia and urea out at Agrium was a complex process so there was a lot to learn and a lot to know. A few of us decided we wanted to stay in the community.”
He added that there are still spots available in the Process Tech program for this semester if anyone is interested.