Gulf Coast : Oil Spill Cleanup Will Mean New Jobs For Many

The recent BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues to dominate the headlines. The cleanup effort will be on-going and the damage the accident has cause will need to be assessed for a long time to come. As we move through the process of recovering from the catastrophe, one thing for sure : Many people with various skills will be needed to manage the outcome of the spill. Which means new jobs in the near future and for several years to come.
I spoke to Stephen Hinton, Managing Director of Hinton Human Capital to learn more about about how the recent spill may influence the job market.
What types of jobs may become available as a result of the spill ?
!) Clean-up personnel
The clean-up effort require Hazmat-trained workers who will deal directly with the oil clean-up, veterinarian medicine professionals who will take care of the animal life, and environmental engineers, microbiologists, and biologists who will manage the clean-up in the marsh areas.
2) Government appointed personnel
The government will need to hire damage-assessment officials to evaluate the damage to the harbors and waste-water treatment facilities. These jobs may be through FEMA or the EPA.
3) Scientists including ecotoxicologists, marine and fresh water scientists
Teams will be needed to monitor the ecosystem following the disaster of the Exxon Valdez spill that occurred over 20 years ago.
4) Landfill waste management personnel
Since the oil waste will have to be disposed of in a landfill, there will be a growing need for waste management.
5) Forensic investigators
Safety experts, structural engineers and process engineers will be needed to perform a failure analysis and determine what happened to the rig to cause the disaster.
6) Economists will be needed to analyze the economic impact of the spill.
Where will the jobs be posted ???
British Petroleum will list a number of environmental subcontractors that will be part of the effort. The Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana State Labor Departments also have information on many of these jobs as well as information on how to apply for Hazmat training. CareerBuilder is also listing many jobs relevant to the clean-up or you can check out this information on 400 positions open for the oil spill clean-up.
How important/marketable are Hazmat skills ??
"Anyone dealing with the oil spill will need some level of Hazmat training, and these skills will continue to be in high demand in the future, these skills may be quite transferable to other positions such as working with environmental contractors on emergency response efforts," Hilton said.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, environmental technicians will be among the top 10 fastest growing occupations over the next decade with a projected 30 percent growth. As we continue to become more environmentally conscious, these jobs will continue to grow.
My take : Well, you know how we feel about the spill , with the economy in the shape it is and the spill has put so many out of work, maybe some good can be found in this tragedy y putting people to work... well that is a wait and see game...stay tuned the oil spill tragedy saga will continue.
Kicking back and keeping it real.