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
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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!
BSc provision - funding?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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
BSc provision - funding?
student gov’t
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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
BSc provision - funding?
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
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Onwards from MSc
MSc provision
BSc to MSc
BSc provision
Schools
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11686883
“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”
BSc provision - funding?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Onwards from MSc
MSc provision
BSc to MSc
BSc provision
Schools
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11785053
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
BSc provision - the future?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Onwards from MSc
MSc provision
BSc to MSc
BSc provision
Schools
Support for living costs to be cut also
BSc provision - the future?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Onwards from MSc
MSc provision
BSc to MSc
BSc provision
Schools
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11483638
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
BSc provision - the future?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Onwards from MSc
MSc provision
BSc to MSc
BSc provision
Schools
10% NERC
30% industry
10% self-funding
50% overseas
(self or institutional funded)
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?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Onwards from MSc
MSc provision
BSc to MSc
BSc provision
Schools
10% NERC
30% industry
10% self-funding
50% overseas
(self or institutional funded)
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
future MSc provision?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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 …
future MSc provision?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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 …
future MSc provision?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
• 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?
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
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
School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Thanks for listening
Any questions?
0113-343-5221