????“石油工程師”這一職業(yè)或許并不如“醫(yī)生”或“律師”等行當(dāng)耳熟能詳,，但它很有希望與這些傳統(tǒng)的熱門行業(yè)一爭高低,，成為家長們希望孩子捧起的另一個“金飯碗”。

????石油行業(yè)財源滾滾,，石油工程師的技能無可替代,，因此這一職業(yè)在就業(yè)市場上的地位一向穩(wěn)固。而且,，由于一系列事件的影響，這一職業(yè)眼下在美國的就業(yè)市場上格外受人青睞,。

????美國勞工統(tǒng)計局（Bureau of Labor Statistics）2010年5月的統(tǒng)計結(jié)果顯示,，美國目前約有28，000名石油工程師,。六年前這一群體還不足15,，000人。而根據(jù)該部門2010年的統(tǒng)計,，美國目前從事律師職業(yè)的人數(shù)約為560,，000，這一數(shù)字也許可以作為某種參照,。

????由于諸多原因的影響,，尤其是石油價格的上漲，高校石油工程專業(yè)的招生人數(shù)也在持續(xù)增加?，旣惏ＫW(xué)院（Marietta College）石油工程系主任羅伯特?蔡斯表示：“這一專業(yè)的招生人數(shù)會隨著石油和天然氣的價格變化出現(xiàn)波動,。兩者幾乎互為參照?！?/p>

????而且,，與其他行業(yè)的情況相同,，隨著嬰兒潮一代“退休潮”的到來，就業(yè)市場中的石油工程職位空缺進一步增加,。

????石油工程師在就業(yè)市場中如此受人青睞還有另外一個原因：在過去5年左右的時間里,，財力雄厚的美國公司在家門口發(fā)現(xiàn)了新的石油與天然氣儲備。

????這些新發(fā)現(xiàn)的石油與天然氣蘊藏在一種名為頁巖的巖石中,，這種巖石在美國的儲量十分豐富,。從5年前開始，美國的大型石油公司便采用一種名為“水力壓裂”的技術(shù),，從本國的頁巖層中開采石油和天然氣,，既節(jié)省了成本，同時又提高了鉆探效率,。這種技術(shù)是通過水力壓裂周圍的巖石進行開采,。自從采用水力壓裂技術(shù)取得飛躍后，大型公司開始將注意力轉(zhuǎn)向美國國內(nèi)可以進行頁巖開采的30個地區(qū),。

????近期,，美國的兩大石油天然氣公司埃克森美孚公司（Exxon Mobil）與雪佛龍公司（Chevron）都擴大了名下的頁巖資產(chǎn)：今年5月份,，雪佛龍公司在賓夕法尼亞州南部的馬塞勒斯頁巖區(qū)購買了220,，000英畝土地；而今年6月份,，?？松梨诠緞t在馬塞勒斯頁巖區(qū)附近新購入了超過300，000英畝土地,。

????據(jù)美國能源信息協(xié)會（Energy Information Association）披露,，自2009年起，頁巖天然氣占美國天然氣供應(yīng)量的14%,；該協(xié)會預(yù)計,，到2035年，頁巖天然氣將占美國天然氣供應(yīng)的45%,。

????為了跟上本國產(chǎn)量的增長幅度,，石油工程學(xué)本科與研究生學(xué)位的招生人數(shù)也在持續(xù)增長。過去5年,，德克薩斯農(nóng)工大學(xué)（Texas A&M）該專業(yè)的研究生招生人數(shù)增長了一倍,，目前就讀人數(shù)已經(jīng)超過200人。俄克拉荷馬大學(xué)（University of Oklahoma）,、賓夕法尼亞州立大學(xué)（Pennsylvania State）與德州理工大學(xué)（Texas Tech）（這三所高校分別位于伍德福德,、馬塞勒斯和巴涅特頁巖層附近）的石油工程學(xué)研究生課程招生規(guī)模也出現(xiàn)了類似、甚至更大幅度的增長,。

????石油行業(yè)則頗具先見之明,，紛紛提前與高校協(xié)商,，由高校針對他們的需求定向培養(yǎng)人才。七年前,，史蒂芬?霍迪克開始擔(dān)任德州農(nóng)工大學(xué)石油工程系主任,。他說，當(dāng)時,，一個專門負(fù)責(zé)石油行業(yè)對外聯(lián)系的單位找到他們,，希望擴大石油工程系的規(guī)模，以確保美國能有充足的工程師來填補嬰兒潮一代迅速老齡化所產(chǎn)生的職位空缺,。

????霍迪克稱：“盡管我們的畢業(yè)生人數(shù)翻了一番甚至兩番,，但他們在就業(yè)市場依然非常搶手。這極有可能是得益于頁巖天然氣開采業(yè)的發(fā)展,?！?/p>

????這一趨勢不僅僅發(fā)生在德州農(nóng)工大學(xué)?？屏_拉多礦業(yè)學(xué)院（Colorado School of Mines）的畢業(yè)生也非常搶手,。該學(xué)院負(fù)責(zé)學(xué)生就業(yè)的珍?曼寧?克拉克主任表示，在2010年12月至2011年5月期間獲得石油工程學(xué)碩士學(xué)位的學(xué)生,，都在能源工程行業(yè)找到了工作,。

????盡管就讀石油工程專業(yè)的招生規(guī)模仍在擴大，但畢業(yè)生的就業(yè)率卻依然保持在較高水平,。部分頂尖的學(xué)生甚至在畢業(yè)后獲得了多份報酬豐厚的工作機會,。霍迪克稱,，即便美國的能源構(gòu)成發(fā)生變化,，這一趨勢可能也不會改變。

????在可預(yù)見的未來,，在滿足美國的能源需求方面，石油仍將占較大比重,，而天然氣也會越來越重要,，這意味著能源公司依然需要招聘技術(shù)純熟的員工，把這些能源從地下開采出來,。所以,，如果下次你的孩子說他在法律學(xué)位和石油工程學(xué)之間舉棋不定，那你應(yīng)該心中有數(shù)了吧,？

????（翻譯 劉進龍）

????It doesn't roll off of the tongue quite like "doctor" or "lawyer" does, but "petroleum engineer" could be a contender for the kind of similar, sensible career that parents often wish for their kids.

????Because the oil business is so lucrative and petroleum engineers have a unique set of skills, petroleum engineers have long enjoyed a healthy position in the job market. But thanks to a confluence of events, the U.S. job market is now particularly friendly to the profession.

????There are approximately 28,000 petroleum engineers in the United States, according to the most recent estimate from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, taken in May 2010. That number is up from just under 15,000 six years ago. By way of comparison, there are approximately 560,000 lawyers working in the U.S., according to Bureau estimates from May 2010.

????Enrollment in petroleum engineering programs at universities is swelling, and for a host of reasons, most notably the rising price of oil. "Enrollment fluctuates with the price of oil and gas. You could almost plot it on each other," says Robert Chase, chair of Marietta College's department of petroleum engineering.

????And, as is the case in other industries, Baby Boomers are aging out of oil engineering jobs, creating even more openings in the market.

????But there's another factor that's contributing to the sweet spot in the petroleum engineer job market: in the past five years or so, big, wealthy American companies have gained access to new oil and gas reserves on their home turf.

????These new oil and gas reserves are in a type of rock called shale, which is abundant in the U.S. Beginning about five years ago, it became cost-effective for major oil companies to drill for oil and gas in shale rock formations in the United States due to a method -- often referred to as fracking -- that involves fracturing the surrounding rock. Since fracking has taken off, big companies have turned their attention to the roughly 30 areas in the U.S. available for shale development in the United States.

????America's two biggest oil and gas companies, Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX) increased their shale assets recently: Chevron bought over 220,000 acres on the Marcellus shale in southern Pennsylvania this past May, and Exxon acquired rights to over 300,000 new acres of land near Marcellus this past June.

????As of 2009, shale gas made up 14% of the U.S. natural gas supply, according to the Energy Information Association. The EIA expects it to contribute 45% of the U.S. gas supply by 2035.

????To keep up with local production, enrollment at both graduate and undergraduate petroleum engineering programs has grown. In the last five years, enrollment in Texas A&M's graduate program has almost doubled and now includes over 200 students. Graduate programs at the University of Oklahoma, Pennsylvania State and Texas Tech (near the Woodford, Marcellus and Barnett shale formations, respectively) have shown similar or even faster growth rates.

????The oil industry was ahead of the trend, talking to schools to ensure they would produce the necessary workers to meet demand. Seven years ago, Stephen Holditch started as head of the petroleum engineering department at Texas A&M University. An industry liaison asked the school to expand then, he says, to make sure there were enough U.S. engineers to fill vacant slots from rapidly-aging Baby Boomers.

????"Even though we've doubled or tripled the number of graduates we have, there's still jobs for everyone," Holditch says, "and it's more than likely because of the shale gas development."

????That trend is not exclusive to Texas A&M. Graduates from the Colorado School of Mines are getting snatched up too. In fact, 100% of students who graduated with a masters in petroleum engineering between December 2010 and May 2011 looking for jobs in energy engineering found them, says Jean Manning-Clark, the school's director of employer relations.

????The percentage of employed graduates has remained very high even though petroleum engineering programs have grown, and the best candidates are getting multiple, high-paying job offers after graduation. The pattern should hold, Holditch says, even as the country's energy mix is changing.

????Oil will play a major part in fulfilling American energy needs for the foreseeable future, and gas is becoming more and more important, meaning companies that sell those fuels will still need skilled workers to figure out the best way to get them out of the ground. So the next time your child tells you that they are on the fence about that law degree, petroleum engineering, anyone?