The student pipeline to the oil and gas industry

This research investigates recruitment strategies, techniques, and trends that can benefit the oil and gas industry in hiring engineering graduates. Engineering occupations are rising in demand within the oil and gas market. This is due to a workforce nearing retirement age and the industry's ongoing efforts to establish new technologies that maximize the earth's energy resources. With the creation of new positions, employers like URS-Washington Division are competing for employees from a diminished workforce pool. This research helped to establish proactive strategies that companies use to interest students in the industry. The approach to exploring oil and gas recruiting was carried out in two phases, industry and academic. The first of these phases sought input from industry professionals, which helped in formatting a questionnaire and survey. The second phase involved development of a second questionnaire that targeted students, faculty, engineering career service directors, and URS-WD employees hired within the last two years. All the information gathered from the surveys and telephone interviews were analyzed to establish recommendations which can be made to the industry. What was found is that employers are targeting a new generation of engineers that have differing priorities and needs than the generations preceding them.