INTEGRATED ACTIVITIES TO INTRODUCE STUDENTS TO GEOSCIENCE CAREERS AND OBTAIN CAREER READINESS SKILLS USED TO PROMOTE RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND SUCCESS BEYOND GRADUATION

LET’S GEO (Learning Ecosystem for Training Student Geoscientists for Employment Opportunities) is an initiative to provide targeted workforce training for students graduating with BS, MS, and PhD degrees in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). The primary goals of this program are fourfold: 1) to provide current geosciences students with marketable career-oriented skillsets, 2) to strengthen existing partnerships between the UWM Department of Geosciences and environmental and geotechnical employers in southeastern Wisconsin, 3) to recruit more students into geosciences majors through clear articulation and examples of pathways from geoscience education to employment, and 4) to provide geosciences faculty who have largely academic work experience with an industry-applicable knowledge base. The ideas for LET’S GEO stemmed from an earlier initiative, GO FoRWARD (Geosciences Opportunities with Fossils, Rocks, and Water to Attract Under Represented Discoverers), a program designed to attract and retain underrepresented minority students in the geosciences major. Career-oriented fieldtrips and virtual meetings with professional geologists in GO FoRWARD proved to be equally popular with and valuable to program participants who were new to the geosciences and their mentors, current majors and graduate students. These experiences motivated LET’S GEO, which uses a learning ecosystem model to link partners in academia, public sector regulatory agencies, and private industry. Ongoing discussions between partners have resulted in integrated opportunities for students to become engaged in frequent, short-term, low-stakes career preparation activities including 1) short-courses in technical topics, communication skills, and regulatory frameworks required for many geosciences careers; 2) directed mentoring for students by industry professionals; and 3) safety training required for many geosciences jobs. These activities have sparked excitement amongst current and potential majors and graduate students, spurred new partnerships with local employers, and strengthened ties with alumni. Ongoing assessment will determine how the activities impact recruitment, retention, and career prospects of geoscience students.