The IPAA/PESA Energy Education Center recently hosted its first virtual extern program. The five-day externship provided 30 students ages 17-20 from the Houston area with virtual tours of company facilities, leadership development with 30 mentors, discussions with industry experts, and meet and greet opportunities with leading energy executives.
C-suite executives taught classes on a variety of topics, including marketing, interactive engineering, workplace safety and interview skills. PESA members Halliburton, Oceaneering and Weir Oil & Gas were among the program sponsors.
“We need to make sure there’s enough energy to meet all of society’s needs,” PESA Chair Rod Larson, President & CEO, Oceaneering, told students during one session. “It’s going to be a plus kind of world where we need renewables plus hydrocarbons plus traditional energy sources to get the energy the world needs.”
Students appreciated being able to interact with mentors, learning about energy economics, seeing how data mining is playing a critical role in the future of the energy industry, and hearing how oil and gas companies are investing in clean energy technology. They also enjoyed interactive sessions where they would learn about a technology employed in the field and then build a version of their own.
With many school districts, including the Houston Independent School District, opting for virtual classrooms this fall, there’s a greater need for this type of educational opportunity. PESA and IPAA are looking to recreate this experience for more students in the coming months.
If your company is interested in learning more, please contact PESA Director Membership Services Carolynn Henriquez at [email protected]
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