WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Member Joe Manchin (D-WV) joined the American Petroleum Institute (API) to officially launch the Veterans Energy Pipeline – www.veteransenergypipeline.com – a new web based tool that will help connect current members of the armed forces and veterans to civilian employment opportunities in the oil and natural gas industry. 

“Our goal is to build on the successes of America’s energy revolution and help those serving our country, as well as veterans, transition into well-paying careers in the oil and gas industry,” said API President and CEO Jack Gerard. “This unique forum will provide important information about the industry, the outlook for job opportunities and useful job-hunting tools and resources.”

To better understand the long-term employment needs of the industry, a recent study from IHS Global, estimates that more than 950,000 job opportunities could be created by 2020 and nearly 1.3 million job opportunities through 2030 across the country in the oil and natural gas industry.

“In the next decade or so approximately half of the industry’s current technical personnel will retire,” said Gerard. “Replacing these jobs and filling anticipated new ones will be critical to maintaining our nation’s position as a global energy leader.”

The Veterans Energy Pipeline tool helps to identify which career opportunities are best suited for the applicant based on a job task analysis that compares job duties and tasks of military occupations to the potential energy job’s responsibilities, expected duties and desired skill sets. It also provides an important forum where civilians can learn about the unique skills that service members and veterans bring to their jobs, such as reliability, attention to detail and the ability to handle pressure well.

API thanked Sen. Manchin for his ongoing commitment to help reduce veteran unemployment, and for his support of the API Veterans Energy Pipeline.

API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, which supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy. API’s more than 650 members include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms. They provide most of the nation’s energy and are backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 30 million Americans.