The Status of the Geoscience Workforce 2018 report is based on original data collected by AGI as well as from federal data sources, professional membership organizations, and industry. The report integrates all of these various data sources into a comprehensive view of the human and economic parameters of the geosciences, including supply and training of new students, workforce demographics and employment projections, to trends in geosciences research funding and economic indicators.

Table of Contents:

Within STEM fields, employers are reporting a widening gap in the workforce readiness of new graduates. As departments continue to be squeezed with new requirements, chasing the latest technologies and scientific developments and constrained budgets, formal undergraduate programs struggle to fully prepare students for the workforce. One major mechanisms to address gaps within formal education is in life-long learning. Most technical and professional fields have life-long learning requirements, but it is not common in the geosciences, as licensing requirements remain limited.

According to the American Geosciences Institutes Geoscience Student Exit Survey, internship participation rates over the past four years have been low, particularly among bachelors and doctoral graduates. In 2016, 65% of bachelors graduates, 44% of masters graduates, and 57% of doctoral graduates did not participate in an internship while working on their degree. When asked if they submitted applications for internship opportunities, 42% of bachelors graduates, 23% of masters graduates, and 46% of doctoral graduates claimed to not submit any applications.

The American Geosciences Institutes Geoscience Student Exit Survey asks recent graduates about their immediate plans after graduation. Though some respondents indicate their employment or continuing education intention, many of the respondents are still in the process of looking for a job in the geosciences. Recent discussions about geoscience workforce development have focused on the critical technical and professional skills that graduates need to be successful in the workforce, but there is little data about employment success and skills development as early-career geoscientists.

In 2015, the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) published a revised version of the 1999 Guidelines for Ethical Professional Conduct, an aspirational document outlining ethical principles that should inform the professional behavior of all geoscientists. The revised Guidelines reflect a consensus of opinion among AGIs 51 member societies and show an evolution in thinking about geoscience ethics. The Guidelines also represent a foundational document to support the expansion of ethical guidelines by individual societies and organizations.

Professional development experiences, such as internships, research presentations and professional network building, are becoming increasingly important to enhance students’ employability post-graduation. The practical, non-technical skills that are important for succeeding during these professional development experiences, such as public speaking, project management, ethical practices and writing, transition well and are imperative to the workplace. Thereby, graduates who have honed these skills are more competitive candidates for geoscience employment.

The American Geosciences Institute’s Workforce Program has recently launched AGI’s Geoscience Student Exit Survey and the Survey of the Geoscience Workforce in an effort to provide more detailed information about the career pathways of early career geoscientists from their undergraduate degree through their first five years in the workforce.

A professional development workshop for underrepresented minority, future and early-career faculty in the geosciences was held in April of 2012. Twenty seven participants traveled to the Washington DC metro area and attended this 2.5 day workshop. Participants’ career levels ranged from early PhD students to Assistant Professors, and they had research interests spanning atmospheric sciences, hydrology, solid earth geoscience and geoscience education.

Most Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines have a direct recruiting method of high school science courses to supply their undergraduate majors. However, recruitment and retention of students into geoscience academic programs, who will be the future workforce, remains an important issue. The geoscience community is reaching a critical point in its ability to supply enough geoscientists to meet the current and near-future demand.