The millennial geoscientist

Is there a future for young professionals in our industry? You bet there is! Are we doing everything we should to encourage young professionals? Absolutely not, and this may become a crisis in the early part of the new century.

Many in the petroleum industry have taken the cavalier attitude that with many professionals exiting the business, there will always be a surplus, and why make any effort to encourage anyone to enter a labor heavy profession.

Some go so far as to say that our industry is waning and has no future. These statements have precedent for being wrong many times in the history of the petroleum industry.

• Despite occasional short-term shortages, oil and gas are plentiful. Changeover to alternative energy source seems unlikely anytime soon (some predictions suggest continued widespread hydrocarbon usage to 2100). Someone will have to help fuel an energy-hungry world.
• Demand for energy is only going to increase as the world develops and population grows. Today's and tomorrow's young professionals will explore and produce well into the 21st century.

What's to be done now? We need to include young professionals in planning, mentoring programs, and training. We need to seek out younger talent and encourage them and ourselves to be proactive. We need to begin the grooming process early, and provide opportunities to exercise leadership. Professional societies can provide responsible positions for young professionals and opportunities to exercise leadership skills early in their careers.

The line to lead in volunteer organizations is much shorter than in top heavy corporate structures. In addition, the societies can provide professional networking and stability. We are seeing the creation of a very mobile work force, a trend that will likely increase. Corporate affiliations change, but professional societies endure throughout a professional's working life.

What are companies doing for the younger generation of geoscientists? How many corporate managers have adopted the posture that "I've got mine," let someone else deal with the nurturing of the professions on his or her balance sheet? Professional societies can help the companies here. Some of our professional societies are already taking leadership roles.

For example, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) has initiated a Mentor Program, which the Houston Geological Society (HGS) is strongly supporting. The HGS has established an ad hoc committee to analyze and launch new initiatives for young professionals. And the HGS has gotten funding to underwrite student members to attend dinner meetings. These are just a few examples of what societies can do. We must do much more and work together.

The millennial geoscientist will work in multi-cultural, cross-professional teams of geologists, geophysicists, engineers, and business specialists. He and she will need to be career proactive, broad-based in skills (a generalist), computer capable, and well-versed in oil and gas fundamentals. Industry must communicate the skills needed to universities and societies, acting responsibly and with genuine concern for the development of geoscientist students.

Professional societies such as the HGS again can help with graduate and undergraduate scholarships, supporting training of earth science teachers such as the Denver Earth Science Program, and with practical training. The HGS has worked hard to develop an outstanding program of continuing education courses including workstation training at North Harris College. Preparing a new generation of energy professionals is a big job!

Optimism makes geoscience great. It is an explorationist's trait. From the first pioneer, to the wildcatters among us today, our industry will provide the energy that our society so desperately needs. It is imperative that we nurture a younger generation to continue to do so.

Technology will make the number of younger professionals fewer than it was in the heyday of the early 1980s, but their impact will be every bit as great. The greatest gift geoscientists receive is our proud heritage. It is our duty to build on it!

Charles A. Sternbach
President
Houston Geological Society