On April 8, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing, “American Energy Jobs: Opportunities for Women and Minorities.”
Julie Gressley, consultant, IHS Economics stated, “In 2010…African Americans accounted for eight percent of total employment, and Hispanics over 15 percent. Women accounted for 19 percent of total employment in these industries.” Expressing her optimism about future job prospects for women and minorities, she said, “Opportunities will exist for women as petroleum engineers, managers, and other professionals, as 70,000 job opportunities are projected for women in these areas from 2010 through 2030. Minority employment is projected to rise from one-quarter of employment in the industry in 2010 to one-third of the total in 2030.”
Dale LeFebvre, founder and chair, 3.5.7.11 Holding Company, presented a different view of the future of women in the industry’s labor force. “According to IHS/API [American Petroleum Institute], women comprised 17 percent of the sector’s labor force in 2010. That percentage is projected to drop slightly to less than 15 percent in 2030 in the upside growth scenario.” To avoid this, Mr. LeFebvre proposed, “building and expanding the employee pipeline (e.g., partnerships with local secondary schools and community colleges), increasing the diversity of the [employee] pool (e.g., targeted outreach), [expanding] employee development (e.g., rotational programs) and [improving] employee retention (e.g., mentoring, network development, and community-building).”
The following witnesses also testified during the hearing:
