Backfilling a work force
As baby boomers retire, refineries hope to draw younger workers to field
GREAT FALLS – Concerned about the graying of its work force, three Billings area oil refineries persuaded MSU-Billings College of Technology to create a two-year program in process-plant technology. Almost 50 students are starting the concentrated, two-year program this semester, hoping to take advantage of median Montana wages of $51,200 in the industry.
“It’s designed to give students a solid foundation to enter the industry,” said instructor Richard Wilson, 56, who recently retired from the ConocoPhillips refinery in Billings after 35 years in the industry.
“My age group ran the plants following the group that ran them during World War II and after,” Wilson said.
Now young people need to be trained to replace baby boomers, he said.
Montana business and labor leaders worry that there may not be enough skilled workers to staff big manufacturing plants and build large industrial projects when the economy recovers.
“When construction was booming until two years ago, contractors had a huge concern about the lack of skilled workers,” said Cary Hegreberg, executive director of the Montana Contractors Association, noting that the average age of Montana construction workers is now 46 or 47.
“Presuming the economy and construction rebound, the aging work force will unquestionably present a challenge to construction companies,” he said.
Dave Galt, executive director of the Montana Petroleum Association, said the oil industry is facing a gap among the age group with midlevel experience.
“There’s a shortage of people in their mid-30s to mid-40s to take over when the baby boomers retire,” Galt said. The slowdown in oil markets between the late 1980s and late 1990s spurred some layoffs, he said.
Dana Leach, manager of the Montana Refining plant in Great Falls, said about 27 percent of the refinery’s 95 employees are in their mid-50s or older, including about 16 percent of the 53 hourly labor, operational and maintenance employees.
“Those aren’t huge numbers nearing retirement age, but plenty big, so we’re preparing to backfill,” Leach said.
Both industry and labor unions are doing their part to meet the challenge of an aging work force.
Both backed legislative funding of the new building trades center building at MSU-Great Falls College of Technology.
Great Falls business, labor and education officials are exploring ways to better coordinate efforts to get high school students to consider possible vocational careers earlier.