school of earth and environment faculty of environment

School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT

Supply of geoscientists to the oil & gas industry from UK HE

sector

Roger ClarkMSc Exploration Geophysics Programme Manager

With contributions from

Phil MurphySchools & Colleges Liason: Geology & Geophysics Admissions Tutor

School of Earth & Environment, University of Leeds


Schools and supply to HE?

Seismic line being shot across the (former) Selby coalfield and gypsum deposits for Leeds’ MSc Exploration Geophysics 2010-11 class

HE - BSc level?

HE - MSc level?

jobs in oil & gas industry?

Views expressed herein are those of the lead author alone and not necessarily those of the author’s affiliation & institute


Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

Geoscience incl. hydrocarbons, resource exploration remains in science syllabus to GCSE, and some A-Level and IB options - c. 5% of curriculum.

Standard of teaching vastly improved by ESTU Keele (UKOOA-funded)

GCSE & A-Level geology still extant: buoyant where taught but localised e.g FE colleges: A-Level up to 50% of BSc intake

School provision?


Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

cryosphere, climate change, environment impact too (e.g. Exxon Valdez case study) now: oil & gas sector seen as harmful and a twilight industry …

.‘geoscience’ not understood - geology & geophysics is (it’s on TV), but perceived as low pay relative to medicine/business.

.recruitment experience is ‘earthquakes & volcanoes’ remains driver for BSc choice: options ‘fixed in’ by time of GCSE options

School provision?


Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

Feedback: workload in making university choice and ‘information mining’ is already resented by some

.Gap year as a positive choice has gone: looking to universities to provide that range of experience

.209,000 spill-over from 2010 entryhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11765127

School provision?


Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

Overall, geoscience BScs currently moderately buoyant: none shutting (but none starting)

.UK intake to geophysics still fragile and erratic: ‘mathematics vs. media studies’ effect remains. International intake still keeps some courses viable

. Applications up around 30% for 2011 in common with widespread recession- and fee-driven dash for places

BSc provision?


Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

45% having to work in vacation or term-time of final year.

30% having to work in vacation and term-time of final year

. 65% give reason for working as “finding essential funding”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11515828 (but my emphases)

Exit debt typically £15-20k

BSc provision?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11515828




Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

research funding

base-level “QR” govt. funding

teaching income

• sector-average 1/3

each.

• research, QR higher

in Russell Group

• teaching higher in

1994 Group

BSc provision - funding?


Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

research funding

base-level “QR” govt. funding

teaching income

no NERC (govt.) contribution to oil & gas geoscience topics?

unchanged in STEM subjects

DON’T KNOW!



Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

Sector-average cost ≈£7k pa per student, higher in (geo)sciences

≈£3k from student

≈£4k from HEFCE, capped via recruitment quota

≈£6-9k from student

currently

2012 entry onward

HEFCE cut by £2.9billion: consequent allocation and policy still unknown

student government


student gov’t


Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

Sector-average cost ≈£7k pa per student, higher in (geo)sciences

≈£3k from student

≈£4k from HEFCE, capped via recruitment quota

≈£6-9k from student

currently

2012 entry onward

HEFCE cut by £2.9billion: consequent allocation and policy still unknown

student government


student gov’t

This is the much publicised “40% cut”

“the UK will drop spending in HE from 1% to 0.7% of GDP - the only nation in the developed world to cut. The US has

increased it from 2% to 3% ….”

see also http://www.economist.com/node/17420066?story_id=17420066

They even cut the “F” from the name


Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools


“Browne review made it quite clear that it would

take a fee of at least £7,000 for universities

just to "maintain investment at current

levels", assuming that government funding

would be cut….

Spending Review … effectively remov(ed)

funding for teaching in most subjects”



Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

Universities have a ‘blank page’ to redesign BScs

• More, fewer, or even NO, BSc-level students?

• Significant shift upward in minimum entrance criteria?

• Radical changes to UK/EU-to-international balance?

• “general focus on skills, employability, and student

experience metrics”

• Abandon state involvement - “go private”?

BSc provision - the future?


Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools


Questions tabled by opposition

• details of access agreements, (to) which universities will have to commit … if they are to charge the highest level of … fees

• What is meant … only charge £9,000 in "exceptional circumstances"

• provision … to help equip and recruit students from poorer backgrounds

• Whether … the government plans to limit student numbers

• plans to allow private institutions to offer degrees

• plans for a National Scholarship Scheme

• The estimated cost to the taxpayer of its plans, given that independent analysts have said the government has been over-optimistic in its assumption



Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

Support for living costs to be cut also



3- and 4- year undergraduate degrees

MSc., PhD

A large pile of … manure

jobs

How deep in the …. might we be!? & what’s needed to

dig us out!?

Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools


Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools


Consequent debt on 3-year degree?

“At £6000 … approximately £30,000

At £9000 … approximately £38,000”

Repayment at 0-3% interest, starting at £18,500pa



Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

Sliding scales mean most graduate employees in oil & gas sector will be repaying in full at highest interest rates

Data from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11483638, RAC’s own inference

4-year degrees increase projected debt further, potential huge impact on progression to PhD and first-degree-entry jobs in e.g contractors

No position in Browne or CSR on Master’s funding (news at Christmas?)

beyond BSc - where most of you recruit from?


Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

Overall moderately buoyant: none now shutting, some (re)started where staffing allows (remain very staff-intensive), demand exceeds supply

UK intake to geophysics fragile: lack of numerate geologists, recruit from outside geoscience. OS intake keeps most courses viable

c.400 places overall (inc. Pet.Eng.), c.250 in geology & geophysics (c.50% international)

MSc provision?


Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

UK/EU fee structure?

Top-up fee set by course & institution: varies between £0-4K across geoscience MScs

≈£3k from HEFCE, no cap via recruitment

quota

currently

≈£4k minimum, amount set by

HEFCE, paid by NERC or student

Fee ‘seen’ by student or sponsor £4-8k

MSc provision?


Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

Geophysics: Leeds ongoing & growing, IC restarted & back to ‘full strength’, small course started at Edinburgh > about 80

20

80

2005 2010

10% NERC

30% industry

10% self-funding

50% overseas

(self or institutional funded)

Figures necessarily approximate - vary year-to-year, course to-course …

Equal balance between NERC-industry-self across whole geoscience sector?

MSc provision?


Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

10% NERC

30% industry

10% self-funding

50% overseas


New government rules on visas already having effect: unclear if it will

improve, likely to worsen

NERC: 10-15% real-term cut over 5 years. Likely to drop all Master’s funding from 2011 despite small % of its

expenditure & disproportionately high return to UKplc

All this cohort will have large debts at entry:

may be prohibitive for self-funding

future MSc provision?


Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

10% NERC

30% industry

10% self-funding

50% overseas


Universities have ‘blank page’ to reconsider priorities: may retract from such staff-intensive programmes

unless they were economic: fees could go up or down

Additional take-up from industry? Even in O&G sector many employers are SMEs

“UCAS” for Master’s (“PTES”) to show great detail about

student experience



Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

Creative thinking by Masters providers ….

• more bursaries …

• individual and consortium support …

• integrate MSc modules with commercial CPD …

• pre-session summer school with credit value …

• restructured timetables to accommodate part-time …

• international recruitment and ‘moving the brand’ overseas …



Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

Industry must act NOW to lobby government re. NERC, fee structure, visas….. universities have and are (e.g. via CBI) but more is needed

Broader industry involvement in Masters

• advisory panels …

• individual and generic consortium support …

• integrate MSc in new-hire training …

• MSc level Foundation Degree & apprenticeships …

• pre-MSc internships …

• funded summer project placements …



• Recruitment - earlier (by c.3-4 months), impacting on teaching

• Visa quotas for hire of non UK/EU: credibility of UK MScs for (necessary) OS intake

• Assistance with accrued debt?

Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

Into jobs?


QuickTime™ and aH.264 decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

So hopefully, we won’t step backwards in teaching provision …Onwards from MSc

MSc provision

BSc to MSc

BSc provision

Schools

The forestry helmet I should have been wearing …ooops


Schools: NOW geoscience-aware but potentially oil-industry-hostile?

summary?

MSc: NOW funding sources reducing. IN 2016 possibly ample numbers including international cohorts, definitely very heavily in debt - overall very uncertain

BSc: IN 2015 possibly better-qualified, probably ample numbers, definitely heavily in debt

Views expressed herein are those of the lead author alone and not necessarily those of the author’s affiliation & institute


Thanks for listening

Any questions?

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0113-343-5221

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school of earth and environment faculty of environment

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