by Shanti Terry
“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it.” – Malcolm X
After transferring to Texas A&M as a sophomore, one of the first things my roommates suggested I purchase was a pair of rain boots. I scoffed at the idea. Having been raised in the arid climate of West Texas, I’d never had any reason to purchase any, so I dismissed the idea completely. About a week later, I experienced my first storm on campus. I stepped off the bus into a large puddle, and trudged through many more on the way to my first class. When I finally arrived, everything below my knees was soaked. The humidity of the area did little to help with anything drying quickly, so I spent the day cold, wet, and miserable. It never happened again. As soon as I got off the bus at home that afternoon, I got in my car and went to purchase the rain boots.
Often in life, we are given information that we can choose to use in preparation for the future, or that we can ignore. When the weatherman gives the forecast, it’s up to the listener to make decisions to prepare for the future. Though there’s no weatherman when it comes to oil and gas, industry experts are always making forecasts. As in our previous segments in this series, we’ve spoken with Elaine Cullen, Teresa Fairbrook, and Dr. William Price. Each of them has a vast amount of experience and knowledge about the workforce and how it has changed over time. They’ve had a wealth of information to share with us along the way.
In the past two articles for this series, we’ve examined ways in which your grandfather’s oilfield is quickly fading in the rearview. We’ve examined how the requirements for the workforce are changing and the effects those changes have on the industry as a whole. We’ve discussed the generational gaps that cause differences in education, mentalities, and ethics, as well as in goals and motivations. As the workforce changes, employers must change in turn. As everything comes together, a glimmer of the future can be seen, and a forecast can be derived.
Forecast
The Exodus
According to Cullen, the first and most massive storm set to sweep across all areas of the O&G workforce will hit as experienced workers reach retirement age. “There is going to be a mass exodus. I think what’s happening in the oil and gas industry right now is pushing that to happen even faster because there’s a downturn. Those that can are leaving right now. They won’t be there to teach new people.”
Cullen went on to explain that, as the older generation of employees approach retirement age, there will be many holes left in companies. This will cause issues, but there are ways around them. In her opinion, a decline in speed and efficiency will likely be the first issue to arise. Commenting further on the matter, she said, “I think that when the exodus occurs, industries will compensate to some degree. If it takes a little longer to get a job done, then that’s what’ll happen.” Clearly, a slowing down of processes will be an inconvenience, but not the end of the world.
The second issue Cullen believes will arise following the exodus is an increase in the number of workers getting hurt.
“As a safety and research person, I study work cultures, and I think what’s going to happen is an increase in industrial injuries. We’re already starting to see it happen. People are putting themselves into positions that they don’t understand are dangerous and they’re going to get hurt. We have to do what we can to protect them,” said Cullen.
Who can protect these workers from getting hurt? It seems the same individuals who are retiring are proving to be best suited for the job. “What we’re seeing now is that baby boomers are being brought back as trainers and consultants, which is an excellent use of their skill sets,” Cullen shared. “They may not be able to physically do that work anymore, but they can train other people to do it skillfully.”
Retirees returning to the workforce and training has helped with spreading knowledge and preventing injuries, but there are still some gaps left to fill concerning training first-time supervisors, in Cullen’s opinion. “They’re the ones moving us into the future. They’re in charge of running work crews. They’re responsible for seeing that people do their jobs correctly with proper productivity. They need training about how to supervise, and how to run a successful work team when everyone on the team is very different. Leadership training is essential for that reason, especially communication skills.”
Preparations
Succession Planning- Investing in the Future
While Cullen’s view of the future sheds light on approaching storms, Fairbrook said Pioneer’s approach is more about studying their trajectory. Succession planning is one way to do that. Rather than focus on the fact that a storm is brooding, they take care to ensure that things are ready should a storm last longer than anticipated or change directions suddenly. Fairbrook described the great crew change as taking place via a slow trickle rather than a big event; and, because of that, there has been time to prepare and plan along the way. “We’ve been thinking about what will happen in the future for a long time, said Fairbrook. “We have been doing succession planning and making sure we have the talent that we need for tomorrow.”
Another way the company has been planning for the future is by investing time and energy into the future members of the workforce. “Within the last couple of years, we’ve built stronger relationships working with schools to make sure there are pipelines into the industry and that there is a qualified workforce coming out of the school systems.”
As regards working with schools, Cullen pointed out how much of an impact companies could make on students by donating bit of time and resources. “It can be difficult for some schools to get the funding they need to give students the best experience they can with the sciences. Science is a hands-on game. You have to experience it. That makes it hard to get kids the things they need to learn. Industries need to get involved, because they have [the tools necessary to] help with that. They could come in and teach things and set up field trips.”
Silver Linings
The Future
Despite what storms the future holds, Dr. William Price says everyday he sees the young people who will be leading us into the future someday, and the future looks bright. “You’re going to get people out there that don’t trust young people and don’t think they work as hard. I personally feel encouraged. I feel good.” Price went on to explain that the reason he can feel good is because he sees individuals with a greater tendency to start their own businesses and seize the opportunities that come with that, including technological advances.
In a world where technology is king, Price says he’s surprised, but glad to know, that the younger generation is so comfortable with big data, which is changing the O&G industry everyday. When asked to elaborate, he shared, “I’m thinking in five years, your car is going to follow you everywhere you go. Big data is having a huge impact on businesses, including the O&G industry. I don’t know what it’ll do to the industry, but it’ll sure change it. The younger generation that’s making up the workforce understands it and they know how to use it more so than older generations.”
No, today is certainly not your grandfather’s oilfield. That fact is evident in every aspect of the O&G industry and its workforce today. As times change, people change. With the coming of technology, there came a changing in the way we work. The change in the way we work led to changes in what we seek and in the values we receive from work. Those changes led us here to the present from the past and they will lead us further still, into the future, where more changes will take place as time goes on.
“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” –John F. Kennedy
A Midland-based freelance writer, Shanti Terry is a regular contributor to Permian Basin Oil and Gas.