DIVERSITY IN GEOSCIENCES" NONRESIDENT GRADUATES IN THE US AND GLOBAL DIVERSITY

Abstract:

According to the Bureau of labor statistics, the projected growth in employment for geoscientists is expected to remain strong for the next 10 years. However, in the next 6 to 10 years, most oil and gas organizations are expected to lose at least 50% of their senior management staff due to retirement. This talent drain will impact the industry at a critical time: from 2007 to 2012 the oil and gas industry reports an uptick by more than 162,000 jobs, a 40% increase in comparison to total U.S private sector employment growth of 1%. To address the talent shortfall, recruiters at times resort to poaching from competitors for key positions.

A contrasting high demand-fluctuating talent supply paired with a spiking enrollment number of non-resident students in Texas and Oklahoma higher Ed institutions posed several questions. If the issue of demand was such, then the talent of these individuals regardless their immigration status should be irrelevant. The second question was whether these recent graduates were considered a part of the diversity conversation or whether diversity was still a national concept tied to countries’ borders.

This paper will report on some of the outcomes of these conversations and projects, as well as provide an argument that US oil and gas organizations could widen the concept of minorities, realize that nonresident professionals classify as such and view diversity in a global fashion rather than nationally.