Struggling Oil Industry Leaves Tulsa Students Searching For Employment

It wasn't long ago that students with petroleum engineering degrees had almost a perfect chance of getting jobs upon graduation; that isn't the case anymore.

Students we spoke to said they're not planning to abandon the industry yet, but they might have spent for years, and a lot of money, getting degrees for jobs that don't require them.

Dexter Ellexson and Tori Weir should have jobs; instead, they’re dreaming about a rise in oil prices.

Petroleum engineering degrees from the University of Tulsa should easily qualify them for $100,000 starting salaries, but energy companies aren't hiring.

"Haven't heard back from anyone so far," Ellexson said.

ConocoPhillips, Chesapeake, SandRidge Energy and Apache are all laying off employees.

Ellexson is now looking for oilfield work - jobs he should be overqualified for.

"When we got into it, that was another reason petroleum engineering was so alluring. The job placement was very high. Right now, the job placement, I would say, is very low," Ellexson said.

"I think the students are concerned and I think because the downturn in the industry was really not anticipated," said Chairman of Petroleum Engineering, Mohan Kelkar.

1/13/2016 Related Story: Oklahoma Economy Taking Hit As Oil Prices Continue To Fall

Kelkar said no one thought it would get this bad.

"The price has gone down so quickly that there's kind of a shock in the system, and the industry is just trying to reassess the situation before they start hiring people," he said.

Weir said, "I've been searching day and night to try and find a job and it's just not going well."

Weir has student loans to pay and is now looking for jobs that, typically, require a high school diploma.

"Maybe like a pipeline operator and things like that just to get in the oilfield for when gas prices do go back up to have a job," she said.

The Chairman of Petroleum Engineering said he's called company executives to ask when they'll start hiring his students, but he instead hears, "I'm not even sure if I'm going to be able to keep my job."

He also said some companies are considering moving office workers into oilfield jobs to avoid even more layoffs.