API: STEM graduates needed to continue America’s 21st century energy renaissance

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 25, 2014 – The United States needs to increase the number of STEM graduates to ensure that we have a workforce capable of continuing American global energy leadership, API President and CEO Jack Gerard said during the U.S. News STEM Solutions National Leadership Conference today.

“Future generations are counting on us to implement policies that promote educational achievement, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math because it will largely be those subjects that determine who will benefit most in the 21st century.

“The oil and natural gas industry will continue to be a job creation leader for years to come and we must ensure that educators and counselors convey the significant job opportunities that exist in the oil and natural gas industry to their students.

“Given what we know from our research, the oil and natural gas industry’s fundamental recommendation is as straightforward as it is simple: Make the improvement of women and minorities’ preparation in STEM related disciplines a national priority.”

According to a recent report by API and IHS Global, under the current educational framework there will be up to 1.3 million new job opportunities by 2030 in the oil, natural gas and petrochemical industries. The report also projects that, on our current course:

• Almost 408,000 positions of the 1.3 million opportunities, roughly one-third of the total expected growth will go to African American and Hispanic workers. 
• Female employment in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries is projected to account for 185,000 of the total job opportunities through 2030.

API represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Its more than 600 members produce, process, and distribute most of the nation’s energy. The industry also supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy.