NON-TRADITIONAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GEOLOGISTS: REFOCUSING GEOLOGIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR EMPLOYMENT STABILITY

For far too long, geology students and those educating them, have focused on the traditional curriculum programs designed to provide the students with the knowledge and tools for employment in the natural resources industries.

The boom and bust cycles of the resources industries have more often than not offered challenges to students seeking gainful employment and careers in their chosen fields of study. With the current issue of climate change and the perceived contributions of the natural resources industries as a causal effect of the ongoing climate “crisis”, the potential for employment for geologists appears to be more bleak than normal.

Recently, universities have developed hybrid programs, where geology education is just one facet of a multi-disciplined degree focused on environmental sciences or natural resource studies. This dilution of curriculum based on geologic sciences, at the expense of other fields of study, has left geology graduates unable to qualify for professional registration in some states; or without the requisite course work to enable the graduate to pass the testing requirements required for registration as a licensed geologist.

A revision to the traditional curriculum of teaching the geologic sciences should be considered and undertaken to focus on opportunities for employment for geologists outside of the natural resources industries. With a restructuring of curriculums to include more applied geology classes, and less research-based coursework, the students can become more employable immediately upon graduation with a BS or MS.

As the average age of geologists working in industry approaches retirement, it is incumbent upon practicing geologists to identify career paths for new graduates and to ensure a qualified workforce is available to backfill the positions. Working together, geologic educators in higher education, geological science associations, and industry representatives, should consider a modification to the traditional geological sciences curriculum to meet the industry employment requirements of the future.