The North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC) is responding to the workforce shortages in the oil and natural gas industry by creating a program called Bakken GROW (Global Recruitment of Oilfield Workers). The Bakken Grow program will be an innovative way to bring new workers to the Bakken region through immigration, specifically Ukrainian immigrants with the new "Uniting for Ukraine (U4U). U4U is a streamlined immigration process that provides Ukrainian citizens who have fled their country after Russia's invasion an opportunity to come and work in the United States.

The NDPC has hired Brent Sanford, former Lt. Governor of ND, to be the Project Manager of Bakken GROW and assist in bringing Ukrainian immigrants to North Dakota. Sanford and the NDPC plan to welcome 25 new workers to North Dakota by July 2023.