Buster LeBlanc, who heads up the land management program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, tells The Advertiser this spring’s handful of program graduates may be pursuing alternate plans to entering the workforce, opting instead for graduate or law school, where they might grow their skills while the energy industry workforce shrinks.
“It’s a darn good time to be in school,” he says. “Students going to grad school, law school, are doing a smart thing.They will be more highly regarded when the industry turns around.”
At UL’s petroleum engineering department, students are holding little hope for employment opportunities, at least for now. Among them is Fernando Barboza, who is closing in on graduation but isn’t counting on a paycheck.
Barboza, president of the Student Association of Professional Landmen at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, isn’t due to complete his studies until December. He’s keenly aware the oil and gas industry has been downsizing since late 2014 and that new jobs for “land men” are scarce. He says he’s in no hurry to graduate, adding his classmates who are getting their diplomas this month are scrambling for work.
“Oil and gas is really in bad shape,” says Abhijeet Chodankar of India, an engineering graduate student. He says he attended a career fair in the spring but prospects for work or even for internships were few. “It will be better, but ‘when’ is the big question.”
Chodankar says he intends to pursue his doctorate in petroleum engineering and stay in academia, which he calls his passion.
Moath Salam of Alexandria, a junior, says internships were too scarce to land this year, although he knows some experience would be helpful. He’s headed back to Alexandria this summer, where his parents own gas stations. Next year, he’ll focus on more networking; he’ll send out resumes next semester and try to use family connections to find work.
Ryan LaGrange of Lafayette Economic Development Authority says some oil- and gas-related companies have been recruiting in Acadiana but in diminishing numbers. In 2014, when oil was selling for more than $100 a barrel, the LEDA spring job fair drew 19 oil and gas companies to recruit for workers. Last year, there were seven. This year, few if any.
