June 16, 2016
LAWT News Service
In their ongoing collaboration to promote STEM studies and encourage high school students to pursue careers in the energy industry, Californians for Energy Independence (CEI) and the Los Angeles Urban League partnered to sponsor a half-day tour and behind-the-scenes look at one of the leading companies providing affordable, safe and reliable energy in California.
Approximately 22 high school students from Middle College High School in Los Angeles toured California Resources Corporation’s (CRC) THUMS Long Beach facility on Wednesday, June 8.
Students interested in science, technology, engineering, math, government, and/or environmental studies found this tour particularly insightful as they plan for upper division high school and college course work.
The tour provided a great opportunity for students to:
• Learn about the variety of high-paying and fulfilling careers in the energy industry;
• Learn how energy is responsibly produced; and
• Meet and see first-hand the diversity of the industry’s workforce and the opportunities available to them in the energy industry.
Students were motivated by seeing the diversity of the employee base and were able to visualize a future for themselves in the industry. They discussed their career paths at CRC and heard advice about navigating college life.
In April, CEI and the Los Angeles Urban League sponsored a half-day educational program for more than 80 high school students in Los Angeles to bring the possibility of an energy career into focus. Students heard from a representative from the California State University, Los Angeles MESA (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement) program, which helps educationally disadvantaged students attain four-year degrees in engineering or computer science.
The ongoing partnership between CEI and the Los Angeles Urban League is committed to providing students with an understanding of California’s energy industry now and in the future.
Nolan Rollins, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League said, “To open opportunities you must open your eyes. The energy industry sees opportunities in communities of color and communities must see economic freedom in fields not often thought of.”
The oil and gas industry is responsible for 455,940 jobs statewide, is an important part of California’s economy and at $118,032, the average wage of someone working in the oil and gas industry is more than twice as much as other private industries in California.
Background on California Resources Corporation’s (CRC) THUMS Long Beach:
THUMS comprises four man-made islands in Long Beach Harbor that are owned by the City of Long Beach, as well as onshore facilities. The THUMS islands were named after four astronauts who died in the line of duty in the early years of the U.S. space program.
Under the terms of an agreement between THUMS, the City of Long Beach and the State of California, the THUMS islands were designed to blend in with the surrounding coastal environment. Drilling rigs and other above-ground equipment are camouflaged and sound-proofed, and wellheads and pipelines are located below the islands’ surface to enhance the appearance of the harbor and skyline.
THUMS’ unique combination of production functionality, visual appeal and environmental and safety features has garnered the facility dozens of awards and recognition from local, state and national organizations. All four THUMS islands have been recognized for commendable wildlife habitat management. Since 2004, the environmental team at THUMS has worked with environmental and community groups to establish and maintain California plant habitats on the islands.