Emerging Workforce Trends in the U.S. Energy and Mining Industries: A Call to Action

393 Pages·2014·8.561 MB·English

by  Committee on Earth Resources, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Board on Higher Education and Workforce, Policy and Global Affairs, National Research Council

E W T
MERGING ORKFORCE RENDS IN THE
U.S. E M I :
NERGY AND INING NDUSTRIES
A C A
ALL TO CTION

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Emerging Workforce Trends in the U.S. Energy and Mining Industries: A Call to Action

E W T
MERGING ORKFORCE RENDS IN THE
U.S. E M I :
NERGY AND INING NDUSTRIES
A C A
ALL TO CTION

Committee on Emerging Workforce Trends in the U.S. Energy and Mining Industries
Committee on Earth Resources
Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
Division on Earth and Life Studies
in Collaboration with
Board on Higher Education and Workforce
Policy and Global Affairs Division

Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Emerging Workforce Trends in the U.S. Energy and Mining Industries: A Call to Action

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the
National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of
Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the
committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for
appropriate balance.

This study was supported by the Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-PI0000010/DE-DT-2115,
Task Order No. 13. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication
are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that
provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number (ISBN-13) 978-0-309-26744-1
International Standard Book Number (ISBN-10) 0-309-26744-7

Library of Congress Control Number

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Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Emerging Workforce Trends in the U.S. Energy and Mining Industries: A Call to Action

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Prepublication Version
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Emerging Workforce Trends in the U.S. Energy and Mining Industries: A Call to Action
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Emerging Workforce Trends in the U.S. Energy and Mining Industries: A Call to Action

COMMITTEE ON EMERGING WORKFORCE TRENDS IN THE U.S. ENERGY AND MINING INDUSTRIES

ELAINE T. CULLEN (Cochair), Safety Solutions International, Chattaroy, Washington
CHARLES FAIRHURST (Cochair), Itasca Consulting Group, Minneapolis, Minnesota
KATHLEEN A. ALFANO, College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, California
BURT S. BARNOW, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
SALLY M. BENSON, Stanford University, Stanford, California
EMILY STOVER DEROCCO, E3, Washington, D.C.
LEIGH FREEMAN, Downing Teal Inc., Denver, Colorado
JOHN A. PAPPAS, Texas A&M University, College Station
ROY RADNER, New York University, New York
JOEL L. RENNER, Geothermal Consultant, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
STERLING J. RIDEOUT, JR, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
KENNETH C. ROGERS, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Retired), Rockville, Maryland
REGINAL SPILLER, Azimuth Investments, LLC, Houston, Texas
JERRY VENTRE, Photovoltaic Systems Engineering Consultant, Oviedo, Florida

National Research Council Staff
CY BUTNER, Study Director
ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Director of the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
GAIL GREENFIELD, Senior Program Officer
NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Financial and Research Associate
COURTNEY R. GIBBS, Program Associate
JASON R. ORTEGO, Research Associate (until June 2012)
CHANDA T. IJAMES, Senior Program Assistant
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Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Emerging Workforce Trends in the U.S. Energy and Mining Industries: A Call to Action

COMMITTEE ON EARTH RESOURCES

CLAYTON R. NICHOLS (Chair), Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (Retired), Ocean
Park, Washington
JAMES A. BRIERLEY, Brierley Consultancy LLC, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
THURE CERLING, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
ELAINE T. CULLEN, Safety Solutions International, Chattaroy, Washington
DONALD JUCKETT, American Association of Petroleum Geologists (Retired), Springfield,
Virginia
ANN S. MAEST, Stratus Consulting, Inc, Boulder, Colorado
LELAND L. MINK, U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Program (Retired), Worley, Idaho
MARY M. POULTON, University of Arizona, Tucson
ARTHUR W. RAY, City of Rockville, Maryland
RICHARD J. SWEIGARD, University of Kentucky, Lexington

National Research Council Staff
ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Director (from April 2012)
NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Financial and Research Associate
ERIC EDKIN, Senior Program Assistant

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Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Emerging Workforce Trends in the U.S. Energy and Mining Industries: A Call to Action

BOARD ON EARTH SCIENCES AND RESOURCES

CORALE L. BRIERLEY (Chair), Brierley Consultancy LLC, Denver, Colorado
WILLIAM L. GRAF, University of South Carolina, Columbia
MURRAY W. HITZMAN, Colorado School of Mines, Golden
EDWARD KAVAZANJIAN, JR, Arizona State University, Tempe
DAVID R. MAIDMENT, University of Texas, Austin
ROBERT MCMASTER, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
M. MEGHAN MILLER, UNAVCO, Inc., Boulder, Colorado
ISABEL P. MONTAÑEZ, University of California, Davis
CLAUDIA INÉS MORA, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
BRIJ M. MOUDGIL, University of Florida, Gainesville
CLAYTON R. NICHOLS, Idaho Operations Office (Retired), Ocean Park, Washington
HENRY N. POLLACK, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
DAVID T. SANDWELL, University of California, San Diego
PETER M. SHEARER, University of California, San Diego
REGINAL SPILLER, Azimuth Investments, LLC, Houston, Texas

National Research Council Staff
ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Director
ANNE M. LINN, Senior Program Officer
SAMMANTHA L. MAGSINO, Senior Program Officer
MARK D. LANGE, Program Officer
NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Financial and Research Associate
COURTNEY R. GIBBS, Program Associate
ERIC J. EDKIN, Senior Program Assistant
CHANDA T. IJAMES, Senior Program Assistant

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Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Emerging Workforce Trends in the U.S. Energy and Mining Industries: A Call to Action

BOARD ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE

WILLIAM E. KIRWAN (Chair), University System of Maryland, Adelphi
F. KING ALEXANDER, California State University, Long Beach
SUSAN K. AVERY, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
CARLOS CASTILLO-CHAVEZ, Arizona State University, Tempe
RITA COLWELL, University of Maryland, College Park, and the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg
School of Public Health, Baltimore
PETER EWELL, National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, Boulder, Colorado
SYLVIA HURTADO, University of California, Los Angeles
WILLIAM KELLEY, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Wayne
EARL LEWIS, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
PAULA STEPHAN, Georgia State University, Atlanta

National Research Council Staff
PETER H. HENDERSON, Director, Board on Higher Education and Workforce
GAIL GREENFIELD, Senior Program Officer
SABRINA E. HALL, Program Associate

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Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Emerging Workforce Trends in the U.S. Energy and Mining Industries: A Call to Action

Acknowledgments

In conducting this study, the committee relied not only on its own expertise, but it also drew upon
input from a range of recognized professionals with extensive expertise in the energy, mining, education,
and related areas covered in this study. Some of these individuals made presentations to the committee,
some participated in discussions with committee members and staff, and some provided valuable
reference information and data in various forms. Together, all of these inputs provided a rich resource
base for the committee’s consideration. The committee wishes to extend its gratitude to all of the
individuals who provided assistance for this study. The committee further wishes to acknowledge the
following individuals in particular for their valuable assistance.
The committee wishes to thank the following individuals for their presentations during open
sessions at the committee meetings: Steven Seachman (National Energy Technology Laboratory);
Allyson Anderson (Professional Staff, U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee); Kathy
Benedetto (Legislative Staff, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, House Committee on
Natural Resources); Christopher Keane (American Geosciences Institute); John Tombari (Schlumberger
Carbon Services); Karl Gawell and Dan Jennejohn (Geothermal Energy Association); Mary Poulton
(University of Arizona); John Craynon and Michael Karmis (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University); David Curtiss (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); Andrew Swift (Texas Wind
Energy Institute, Texas Tech University); Elizabeth McAndrew-Benavides and Carol Berrigan (Nuclear
Energy Institute); Samantha Jacoby (formerly with the Solar Energy Industries Association); Ellen Kabat-
Lensch (Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center, Bettendorf, Iowa); Doug Ratcliff and
Jon Olson (University of Texas at Austin); John Galiotos (Houston Community College, Northeast
College, Energy Institute); Al Escher (Schlumberger Business Consulting); Ron Ness (North Dakota
Petroleum Council, Inc.); Susan Howes (Chevron and Society of Petroleum Engineers Talent Council);
Marshall Schott (University of Houston, Greater Houston Partnership’s Energy Collaborative Workforce
Committee); Brian McPherson (University of Utah); Anthony Carnevale (Georgetown University Center
on Education and the Workforce); David Holt (Consumer Energy Alliance); Dennis McDonaugh (Alamo
Colleges, St. Philip’s College); Dixie Sommers (Bureau of Labor Statistics); Martin Scaglione (ACT);
Suzanne Tegen, Barry Friedman, and Steven Hauser (National Renewable Energy Laboratory); Peter
McKenny (Gonzaga University); Dennis Ray (University of Wisconsin–Madison); Clifford Brandon
(Automated Systems Alliance Inc.); and Stephen Enders (Colorado School of Mines). These presenters
were also helpful in providing additional information and assistance to the committee.
The committee also extends its thanks to the following representatives from federal government
agencies for their participation in an open discussion meeting with the committee: Mary Cummings
(National Nuclear Security Administration), Jeff Duncan (Mine Safety and Health Administration),
Thomas Galassi (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), John Howard (National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health), Robert LaBelle (Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement),
Brenda Pierce (U.S. Geological Survey), and Tim Spisak and Steven Wells (Bureau of Land
Management). In addition, the committee thanks the following Department of Energy staff members for
discussing workforce issues with selected members of the study committee and staff: Guido DeHoratiis,
Natenna Dobson, Shannon Gipson, Sharon Weaver, and Dawn Tolley (Office of Fossil Energy); Penny
Boyce (Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Capital and Corporate Services); Serena
McIlwain (Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer); Kathy Fear (Human Resources Division of the
Office of Institutional Operations at the National Energy Technology Laboratory); and Michelle Fox,
Linda Silverman, Christina Nichols, Jonathan Bartlett, and Joanna Maher (Office of Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy). The committee further thanks the following for discussing career pathways and
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