How do today’s students really view the energy services sector? And what changes their perception once they experience it firsthand?
To help answer those questions, Energy Workforce & Technology Council recently brought together interns from member companies alongside marketing and HR executives for a candid discussion on recruiting, workplace culture, and the future of workforce development. The roundtable was launched in response to a strategic priority identified by the Board to better understand and engage the next generation of energy professionals.
One message emerged consistently across the discussion: students’ perceptions of the industry often change dramatically after firsthand experience. While many interns arrived with outdated assumptions shaped by social media, educators, or secondhand opinions, they described leaving with a very different perspective, one centered on innovation, technology, meaningful work, and long-term career opportunity.
Several themes surfaced repeatedly throughout the conversation:
- Students are drawn to careers and companies before they identify with an industry.
- Purpose, career growth, and company culture matter as much as competitive compensation.
- Social media is both the leading source of misconceptions and the best opportunity to reshape them.
- Many students are surprised by the breadth of careers available across finance, HR, marketing, supply chain, operations, technology, and engineering.
The discussion also reinforced that authentic storytelling matters. Interns encouraged companies to showcase real employees, explain how technology is transforming the industry, highlight meaningful work, and engage students earlier, before career decisions are made.
The insights gathered through the roundtable will help inform Energy Workforce’s ongoing workforce development initiatives and provide member companies with practical strategies to strengthen recruitment, employer branding, and engagement with the next generation of talent.
Thank you to Weatherford for hosting and to our participating member companies: Atlas Energy Solutions, Baker Hughes, Caterpillar, ChasmBridge, Deloitte, DNOW, GD Energy Products, H&P, HMH, Hunting Energy Services, Kodiak Gas Services, Liberty, NOV, Patterson-UTI, Piper Sandler, ProPetro, and Weatherford.
Karina Erickson, Senior Communications Director, writes about governmental policies for the Energy Workforce & Technology Council. Click here to subscribe to the Energy Workforce newsletter, which highlights sector-specific issues, best practices, activities and more.
