Industry Drives Economic Opportunity, Prosperity
Mark Green
Posted February 23, 2018
In the natural gas and oil industry, measuring opportunity starts with 10.3 million – the number of jobs our industry supports. Because a job is economic livelihood for individual Americans and their households. They’re the avenue to something better.
Listen to Carmen Segovia talk about opportunity. She’s an advanced IT business analyst with Marathon Oil who recognizes that her professional success stems from hard work, family and opportunity within our industry to grow and prosper:
There are similar stories to Carmen’s across the industry – particularly as more women and minorities join our ranks. Opportunity is seen increasing over the next couple of decades. According to an IHS study, the industry is projected to have nearly 1.9 million new job opportunities by 2035, and women and minorities are expected to account for hundreds of thousands of them. From API’s 2018 State of American Energy report:
There’s great opportunity for younger Americans, like Carmen. According to another report, Millennials, who make up 34 percent of our current workforce, are expected to account for 41 percent of it by 2025.
Put together, energy industry opportunity translates into support for economic growth. The U.S. energy renaissance provides the fuels and products for economic activity and growth, and the need for more energy drives industry activity, making industry a growth point itself. We’re an economic engine.
It starts with a job, a worker playing an important role in sustaining and growing America’s energy abundance. It starts with opportunity – the possibility to become. Carmen Segovia:
“I like to think of myself as a motivator of sorts, because there’s not a lot of Mexican American women in the IT field in the oil and gas industry. So I like to think I opened doors, that I opened eyes to the possibility of more Hispanic women joining me.”
The natural gas and oil industry is Americans helping other Americans power past the impossible.
About The Author
Mark Green joined API after a career in newspaper journalism, including 16 years as national editorial writer for The Oklahoman in the paper’s Washington bureau. Previously, Mark was a reporter, copy editor and sports editor at an assortment of newspapers. He earned his journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma and master’s in journalism and public affairs from American University. He and his wife Pamela have two grown children and six grandchildren.