Exciting Opportunities for Women

Transcription

1 Exciting Opportunities for Women Oil and Natural Gas Career Opportunities for Women Dr. Jacqueline Lang,

2 Oil and Natural Gas Career Opportunities for Women Introduction This White Paper is a brief overview of the oil and natural gas industry and its employment opportunities for women that could be a variety of positions in areas that include entry level, professional, supervisory to mid-level leadership, executive, and board members. Currently there is a shortage of employees in many areas of the oil and natural gas industry because of the lack of skills, education, and knowledge worldwide 1, and the shortage is expected to continue. These shortages are increasingly wide for women in all areas of the industry. Millions of other jobs associated with the growth of the oil and natural gas industry have also been created, creating a need for a wide range of skills and knowledge with no end in sight 2. Careers Women: Oil and Natural Gas Industry The current estimated job growth is millions of new careers within the oil and gas industry by 2030 for the United States 3, and the worldwide shortage of oil and natural gas workers that will produce millions of more job openings 4. According to HIS reports completed in 2010 women hold 19% of total employment in the combined oil & gas and petrochemical industries. Their share are higher in the downstream and petrochemical segments (25%) and lower in the upstream and midstream segments (15-16%) 5 leaving an enormous amount opportunities for women of all ages, skill levels, knowledge and the women that have ambition to learn new skills and knowledge. Currently according to The Labor Department s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) the oil and natural gas industry includes three employment categories: 1 Skills shortages in a booming market: The big oil and gas challenge. Retrieved from 2 Oil and Gas Jobs in Demand as Companies Seek to Bridge Skills Gap. Retrieved from 3 API launches new campaign for next generation oil and gas workforce. Retrieved from 4 Europe s battle against brain drain: Oil & Gas Global Salary Guide. Retrieved from 5 An HIS Report (March 2014). Minority and Female Employment in the Oil & Gas and Petrochemical Industry. Retrieved from

3 drilling - employment related to the spudding and drilling of wells, as well as reworking of wells 6 extraction employment related to the engaged in operating, developing, and producing oil and natural gas fields, including exploration and production work up to the point of shipment from the producing property 7 support employment related to performing supporting activities for oil and natural gas operations, including exploration, excavation, well surveying, casing work, and well construction 8 The specific job categories include a variety of position requiring both hard and soft skills. Positions in these job categories include entry level, college recruits, mid-management, and upper-level leadership 9. The current breakdown of specific demographic employees located in different employment categories of the business (oil, gas & petrochemical) that include three different segments within the categories include upstream (exploration and production), midstream (pipeline transportation) and downstream (manufacturing of products, refining and distribution) 10. A few of the positions include the following: Welders: Typical trade training for a welder is nine months, and the estimated yearly salary is six figures 11. The plus to this training is that there is a current shortage in welders in general and can be a skill that is transferrable between industries. Nurses: There are a variety of jobs for nurses in the industry. Offshore nurses enjoy top notch benefits, work six months a year with everyday living benefits (laundry, cleaning and cooking) 6 Energy Global. (08/08/2013). Oil and gas industry employment rising fast. Retrieved from px#.vgj5n8mxwso 7 Energy Global. (08/08/2013). Oil and gas industry employment rising fast. Retrieved from px#.vgj5n8mxwso 8 Energy Global. (08/08/2013). Oil and gas industry employment rising fast. Retrieved from px#.vgj5n8mxwso 9 Energy companies lament skills gap as 'crisis' festers. Retrieved from 10 An HIS Report (March 2014). Minority and Female Employment in the Oil & Gas and Petrochemical Industry. Retrieved from 11 Shale boom: Pipeline welders make $150,000 in Ohio, while liberal arts majors flounder. Retrieved from

4 along with top pay 12. Onshore also opportunities are also in great demand with pay and benefits above average in other areas 13. Engineers: It s estimated that 50 percent of all engineers in the industry will want to retire by 2018, creating a shortage that will have to be filled 14. Petroleum Geologists: Geologists are estimated to be the second-highest paid skilled workers in the industry, earning an average salary of $183, Petroleum Engineers: Shortages and anticipated retirements have created a demand and high pay opportunities for these engineers. Small Business Owners: Women that don t want to work directly in an organization are having enormous opportunities in creating small business to make money supporting the oil and natural gas industry expansion, Whatever skill you have, we need it in western North Dakota. Kathy Neset, president, Neset Consulting Service Inc. 16 Other careers include 17 : Plant/Operations Managers Construction Engineers Information Technology (IT) Safety Officer Office Administration Personal Trainers Medical Staff; Nurses, Health & Safety Professionals, Paramedics Project Management Human Resources Accounting Analyst 12 Health ecareers Network. (3/19/2013). Top 5 Highest-Paying Non-Clinical Jobs for Nurses. Retrieved from 13 Klimasinska, K. ( T04:01:03Z). Women Cash In on Dakota Oil Service Needs to Sustain Boom. Retrieved from 14 Oil and Gas Jobs in Demand as Companies Seek to Bridge Skills Gap. Retrieved from 15 Oil and Gas Jobs in Demand as Companies Seek to Bridge Skills Gap. Retrieved from 16 Klimasinska, K. ( T04:01:03Z). Women Cash In on Dakota Oil Service Needs to Sustain Boom. Retrieved from 17 Women in the Oil and Gas Industry Opportunities for Women. Retrieved from

5 Project Managers Pipeline Control Operator Public Relations Where are the careers? Careers are located within the following states currently but will expand as more technology, demand, and ability to drill is continued to be allowed: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming and Texas 18. These jobs in various locations within the oil and gas industry are available at large, medium, and small companies that offer opportunities for women at all levels. Here is a breakdown of some of the different sized oil and gas companies: Large: Five big oil companies are BP, Chevron, Conoco, Exxon and Shell (These employee 10 percent of Americans). 19 Medium: Anadarko, Apache, Chesapeake, Continental, Devon, EQT and Pioneer are among a few of the 60 businesses considered medium. 20 Small: Blast Energy Services, Inc., Manas Petroleum Corporation and Edge Petroleum Corp. are just a few of many small-cap oil and gas companies. 21 The jobs don t stop at oil and natural gas companies themselves. It s estimated that for every one job created by an organization in the oil and natural gas industry, three other jobs in a variety of other industries are created. Those industries include construction, education, housing, medical industry, manufacturing, and retail (food and general). 22 Therefore if a woman doesn t land that first career in the industry, there will be plenty of career opportunities in a variety of positions with other organization that will allow for the right training, education, and/or experience necessary to move into the oil and natural gas industry. 18 Oil and Natural Gas Stimulate American Economic and Job Growth Retrieved from Economic-Growth/API-State-Vendor-Survey-Findings-Report.pdf 19 Power & Growth Initiative Report. Retrieved from 20 Power & Growth Initiative Report. Retrieved from 21 Small-Cap Directory. Retrieved from 1&mcmax=-1&c=&ld=0&lk=&t=&ri=0&ps=25 22 Power & Growth Initiative Report. Retrieved from

6 Education Skills and knowledge is required for most position in the oil and natural gas industry just as it is for many other industries. Obtaining a college degree, certifications and/or trade school certification will ensure the ability to apply for positions. Money Equals a Win-Win Situation for Women and Organizations The oil and natural gas industry creates a cash flow that enables everyone to win by job and economic stability. According to Western Energy Alliance 23 : For every dollar the government spends administering the federal onshore oil and natural gas program, companies return $83.69 in royalties and leasing revenue to the American taxpayer. The Tax Foundation finds that governments have collected $1.95 trillion in taxes from the oil and natural gas industry since The total amount of taxes collected is roughly 40 percent more than the industry s profits. Tax collections exceeded company profits in 23 of the 27 years surveyed. On top of direct industry taxes, consumers paid $1.1 trillion in excise and sales taxes on petroleum products from 1981 to Stability of the Oil and Energy Industry There is no guarantee anymore in any industry of long-term employment. Organizations every day are examining the bottom line in a very global, competitive world, and the reality of any job lasting a lifetime is over, except for government jobs 24. The opportunity of working in a different industry, meeting new people, learning new skills and knowledge, and earning a great wage is the best way to look at a career that may or may not last a lifetime. Topics of fear that create sleepiness nights for executives in the oil and natural gas industry that women considering a career in the field need to understand are: Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) Exports controlled by the federal government Energy Tax Policy - controlled by the federal and state governments Usage of Water - controlled by the federal and state governments Climate Change some opinions included unscientific 25 cause that is political controlled 23 Western Energy Alliance. Retrieved from 24 Some federal workers more likely to die than lose jobs. Retrieved from 25 Bell, L. 3:32PM). That Scientific Global Warming Consensus...Not!. Retrieved from

7 Regulatory Environment controlled by the feral government, state, and local governments 26 Unreliable job industry for years and could fall again 27 Secondary questions for women to consider: How long will the jobs created as a result of the shortage last? How long will demand for oil and gas remain high? If suppliers lower prices will salaries remain high? Many industries experience shortages from growth. Some continue the shortage crisis, such as the nursing industry, and some industries go from a boom to bust. For jobs, it s the reality of the new work environment. The career one person does today will most likely not be the career a person will do 10 years from today. Conclusion Every young American woman, female college student, and experienced woman should review what the organizations in the oil and natural gas industry have to offer for careers. It may not have been one of their initial ideas of a work environment, but it should now be one of their top job searches. Life will contain a number of adventurous careers Dr. Jacqueline Lang, 26 The Top Six Issues and Opportunities Facing the Oil and Gas Industry in Retrieved from 27 Oil companies scramble to find engineers. Retrieved from