The Departments of Energy and Agriculture have grants and tax incentives available for companies to use on workforce development programs. These funds, intended to help build a new generation of employees, target industries like farming, water infrastructure, clean energy and, yes, drilling. However, in a universe of 166 million working Americans, the agriculture and trades sectors face a lopsided playing field. Of all working Americans just 12% work in agriculture and a little under 5% make a living in the construction industry. Drilling employment — groundwater, geothermal, geotechnical, etc. — makes up a small fraction of that small fraction, despite its importance.
As an industry, we know that drilling progresses civilization. Drilling is essential to clean energy, from the lithium in our EV batteries to geothermal HVAC. Demand is strong. Still, we haven’t yet recognized that our workforce development culture and processes have inhibited the growth of our trade. Think about this statistic when you wake up each day and make it the last thing that leaves your mind while falling asleep: