THE AMERICAN GEOSCIENCES INSTITUTE WORKFORCE PROGRAM: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

The Workforce Program has been a part of the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) since 1952 and it is the key source for information about the condition of the geoscience workforce and the preparation of future geoscientists. The main objectives of the Workforce Program are to inform the geoscience community about workforce trends and make predictions for future workforce needs, as well as engage the next generation of geoscientists by supporting student recruitment at the collegiate level and by informing students, faculty, and parents with geoscience career information. Over the years, AGI has been at the forefront of information dissemination about the status of the geoscience workforce, compiling comprehensive directories of geoscience departments nationally and internationally, and developing recruitment materials for students providing engaging career information.

Along with the regular reports and educational materials developed, AGI’s Workforce Program has started collecting data directly from students in order to ascertain their experiences while working on their geoscience degrees, their career paths during the first few years in the workforce, and the skill sets needed for these early career geoscientists to be successful in their chosen industries. We have also developed a program to help faculty educate students about the various career options that exist in the workforce. With these new efforts, we hope to provide more accurate information about our profession by focusing on the career paths appropriate for the early career geoscientist, as well as by highlighting the new emergent industries which are looking for skilled geoscientists.