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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE
GULF RESEARCH PROGRAM

Middle-Skilled
Workforce Needs

SUMMARY OF A WORKSHOP

Gulf Research Program

Elizabeth O’Hare and Steve Olson, Rapporteurs

Policy and Global Affairs

GULF RESEARCH PROGRAM
         INNOVATE | EDUCATE | COLLABORATE

National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Engineering
Institute of Medicine
National Research Council

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.

www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS            500 Fifth Street, NW           Washington, DC 20001

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number 13: 978-0-309-31427-5
International Standard Book Number 10: 10-0-309-31427-5

Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313, http://www.nap.edu.

Copyright 2014 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Cover photo credit: SeaWiFS Project, NASA/GFSC, ORBIMAGE

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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ABOUT THE GULF RESEARCH PROGRAM

In 2010 the Deepwater Horizon explosion and fire in the Gulf of Mexico caused the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, resulting in significant impacts on the region’s environment and residents. Legal settlements with the companies held responsible led the federal government to ask the National Academy of Sciences to form and administer a 30-year program to enhance oil system safety, human health, and environmental resources in the Gulf of Mexico and other U.S. continental shelf areas where offshore oil and gas exploration and production occur or are under consideration. The new Gulf Research Program will receive $500 million to support activities using three broad approaches: research and development, education and training, and environmental monitoring.

To inform program planning, the Gulf Research Program held three Opportunity Analysis Workshops in 2014: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs, Monitoring Ecosystem Restoration and Deep Water Environments, and Community Resilience and Health. These workshops are part of an ongoing effort to elicit input from experts, practitioners, and community members on key opportunities to translate the Program’s strategic vision into activities that will benefit communities in the Gulf region and beyond. The workshops are expected to lead to the development of additional Program activities and opportunities for the research and education communities.

The Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs Opportunity Analysis workshop was delegated to the Board on Higher Education and Workforce at the National Academy of Sciences. The Gulf Research Program gratefully acknowledges the assistance that the Board on Higher Education and Workforce provided during the planning and execution of this workshop.

For more information on the Gulf Research Program and to access the additional Opportunity Analysis workshop reports, see www.nas.edu/gulf.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR THE WORKSHOP ON EDUCATION AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE GULF RESEARCH PROGRAM

ROBERT A. DUCE (Chair), Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M University

ASHANTI JOHNSON, University of Texas, Arlington, and Institute for Broadening Participation, Damariscotta, Maine

EDUARDO SALAS, Professor of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando

LADON SWANN, Director, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Auburn University Marine Programs

Staff

ELIZABETH O’HARE, Program Officer, Board on Higher Education and Workforce

THOMAS ARRISON, Acting Director, Board on Higher Education and Workforce

NINA BOSTON, Senior Program Assistant, Board on Higher Education and Workforce

TERI THOROWGOOD, Manager Administrative Services, Gulf Research Program

Consultant

STEVE OLSON, Consultant Writer and Rapporteur

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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GULF RESEARCH PROGRAM
Advisory Group

BARBARA A. SCHAAL (Chair), Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri

DONALD F. BOESCH, University of Maryland, Cambridge

ROBERT S. CARNEY, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

STEPHEN R. CARPENTER, University of Wisconsin, Madison

CORTIS K. COOPER, Chevron Corporation, San Ramon, California

COURTNEY COWART, Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee

ROBERT A. DUCE, Texas A&M University, College Station

DEBORAH L. ESTRIN, Cornell New York City Tech, New York

CHRISTOPHER B. FIELD, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California

GERARDO GOLD-BOUCHOT, Center for Research and Advanced Studies at Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

LYNN R. GOLDMAN, George Washington University, Washington, DC

BERNARD D. GOLDSTEIN, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

THOMAS O. HUNTER, Sandia National Laboratories (retired), Albuquerque, New Mexico

SHIRLEY ANN JACKSON, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York

ASHANTI JOHNSON, University of Texas, Arlington, and Institute for Broadening Participation, Damariscotta, Maine

DAVID M. KARL, University of Hawaii, Honolulu

MOLLY McCAMMON, Alaska Ocean Observing System, Anchorage

LINDA A. McCAULEY, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

J. STEVEN PICOU, University of South Alabama, Mobile

EDUARDO SALAS, University of Central Florida, Orlando

KERRY MICHAEL ST. Pé, Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (retired), Thibodaux, Louisiana

ARNOLD F. STANCELL, Mobil Oil (retired), Greenwich, Connecticut

LaDON SWANN, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Ocean Springs, Mississippi

JAMES W. ZIGLAR, Van Ness Feldman, Washington, DC

MARK D. ZOBACK, Stanford University, Stanford, California

Staff

CHRIS ELFRING, Executive Director

BETHANY MABEE, Research Associate

LEIGHANNE OLSEN, Senior Program Officer

JOCELYN OSHRIN, 2014 Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellow

EVONNE TANG, Senior Program Officer

TERI THOROWGOOD, Manager, Administrative Services

KIM WADDELL, Senior Program Officer

MAGGIE WALSER, Senior Program Officer

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF REVIEWERS

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Academies’ Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for quality and objectivity. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.

We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Kimberly Green, The National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium; Jennifer Langhinrichsen-Rohling, University of South Alabama; James Stone, National Research Center for Career and Technical Education; and Marsha Towns, The Student Conservation Association.

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the report, nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by George Boggs, American Association of Community Colleges, appointed by the National Academies, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the rapporteurs and the institution.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2014. Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18980.
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During the period 1990 to 2010, U.S. job growth occurred primarily in the high-skilled and low-skilled sectors. Yet, one-third of projected job growth for the period 2010-2020 will require middle-skilled workers -- who will earn strong middle-class wages and salaries -- important to both the production and consumption components of our economy. These jobs typically require significant training, often requiring more than a high school diploma but less than a baccalaureate degree. In the Gulf of Mexico, middle skilled workers play key roles in maintaining oil system safety, completing the numerous environmental restoration projects needed along the Gulf coast, and as workers in an integrated and resilient public health system. Educational pathways that lead to middle skilled jobs in these areas include: apprenticeship programs offered by schools, unions, and employers; high school career and technical education programs; community college courses, certificates, and associate degrees; and employer provided training.

Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Middle-Skilled Workforce Needs is the summary of a workshop held on June 9-10, 2014 in Tampa, Florida. This workshop convened 40 thought leaders from the Gulf region's education, employer, and policymaking communities to facilitate a discussion of the current state of education and training pathways for preparing the region's middle-skilled workforce in both the short- and long-term and to identify perceived needs and potential opportunities that might be addressed by the GRP. Workshop participants discussed a variety of opportunities around building capacity in the region's middle-skilled workforce, including the need for competency-based education and training approaches and stronger partnerships among the region's employers and institutions of higher education.

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