Training for Alaska's oilfields.

• Author: Swagel, Will
• Position: OIL & GAS

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Sterling Rearden is a 29-year-old BP mechanical engineer and project manager, currently managing pipeline construction projects on the North Slope. He has worked for BP since 2010 and as an intern before that. A 2005 graduate of Bethel High School, Rearden was partially inspired to pursue his vocation by an older brother who worked in the oil industry.

Rearden was also inspired and supported by opportunities provided to him through the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP). ANSEP is a twenty-one year old University of Alaska based program, primarily designed to prepare students--Native and non-Native--living in rural Alaska to pursue college degrees in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). ANSEP started as a scholarship program for college students only.

Today, ANSEP reaches as far down as sixth grade to guide students toward the prerequisite classes required for degree programs in STEM fields. ANSEP offers various programs to fill in any gaps. Rearden became involved with ANSEP in high school and interned at BP before attending the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). He also interned at other companies and again at BP before joining the company upon receiving his degree in mechanical engineering in 2010.

Now a mentor to other ANSEP participants at BP, Rearden in June welcomed five new ANSEP summer interns who hope to follow his career path. Unfortunately, they may face a steeper climb. Low oil prices have curtailed production and resulted in the loss of thousands of oil company jobs in Alaska and nationwide. Applicant pools for vacant jobs have increased greatly and the competition is stiffer.

Yet Rearden--who gives career presentations at schools throughout the state--remains bullish on oil overall.

"I feel like the gas and oil industry will be here for the long run," he says. "I still think it's a great opportunity. And there are plenty of opportunities to come in the next five or ten years."

Home Grown Talent

Rearden says one thing he tells the interns is that to continue living in Alaska, there is no reason not to be operating the oil fields. It's a great opportunity and a very rewarding career.

"This is your state. This is your oil and gas. Take ownership," he tells students and interns. "And when you really take ownership [of the resource], you care for it and maintain it because you want it to continue."

BP must recognize that state residents bring more to the...