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Employment in energy fields, including oil and natural gas sectors, continued to increase in 2017, but employers are facing challenges when seeking qualified workers to fill open positions, according to data presented during the Future Energy and Manufacturing Jobs webinar sponsored by the NETL Regional Workforce Initiative (RWFI).
The online event brought together subject matter experts from NETL, RAND Corporation, and the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) to discuss energy and manufacturing jobs and workforce data. Nearly 100 registrants representing more than 40 different organizations across the Appalachian region and nationally participated in the event.
Dave Foster, a distinguished associate from EFI, provided analysis and results from the U.S. Energy and Employment Report. The report, based on survey data from 2017, was a project of the National Association of State Energy Officials and EFI and addresses four energy sectors – electric power generation and fuels production; electric power and fuels transmission; distribution and storage; and energy efficiency and motor vehicles manufacturing.
Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia were in the top 15 states in employment in traditional fossil energy technologies, which includes oil, natural gas, and coal. In West Virginia alone, the study found that the traditional energy sector grew by almost 13 percent – more than 7.5 times the national average. Pennsylvania’s traditional energy sector grew by more than 7 percent, which is more than triple the national average. However, nationally, more than 70 percent of employers report having difficulty finding qualified workers.
Robert Bozick, a senior sociologist for the RAND Corporation, addressed some of the reasons for the hiring difficulties that face the oil and natural gas industries. He explained that a RAND report focusing on development of a skilled oil and gas workforce surveyed employers, and colleges in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia to uncover workforce skills demands and associated development opportunities and gaps.
He said colleges in all three states have developed workforce development programs and employers across the region provide on-the-job training. However, the study found that employers struggle with the need for workers with basic skills like time management, speaking, and writing, in addition to training for specific oil and gas industry skills.
Chris Nichols of NETL’s Energy Markets Analysis Team, demonstrated how the combination of energy technology and economic analysis are key in helping understand the regional and national economic impacts of various energy technologies, ultimate energy generation, and effective energy use.
For example, Nichols explained how NETL uses scenarios for the deployment of electrified and autonomous vehicles and considers the consequences they could have on energy consumption trends.
Nichols’ presentation also addressed specific occupations involved in the design, manufacture, construction, and maintenance of energy projects and associated median salaries. He said most of those occupations require a highly skilled workforce that has a background in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The mission of NETL’s RWFI is to create a platform for the Laboratory, regional and national stakeholders, and other organizations to use in collaborative workforce development. The efforts complement energy and advanced manufacturing innovation and research.
The slideshow associated with the webinar presentations is available here. More information on the NETL RWFI can be found here.
NETL is one of 17 Department of Energy national laboratories. It is the only one that focuses on fossil energy research.
The Washington, D.C.-based EFI, a non-profit organization, conducts objective, fact-based and technical, economic, financial, and policy analyses supported by a multidisciplinary network of experts.
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization that develops solutions to public policy.
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