OREANDA-NEWS. June 01, 2015. The gas industry needs young talent and must start courting it. That's why a special Youth Event is being held at the World Gas Conference (WGC) in Paris, June 1 to 5. Some 150 participants are expected to be on hand to explore major gas industry topics in teams, attend presentations, build their network and meet their peers at the main conference, of which the Youth Event is an integral part.

Around 150 young gas industry professionals and science students specializing in energy are expected in Paris from June 1 to 5 for the World Gas Conference (WGC), the industry's major triennial event. They're coming to the WGC, but not only the WGC. A parallel Youth Event is being organized specifically for them.

Although a dedicated area has been created just for the next generation, it is fully integrated into the main event. Since the goal is to have young people interact with their more experienced peers in the industry, "We hope participants attending the main event will stop by and see us. We'll be delighted to welcome them to the Youth Event area," explains 26-year-old David Nedelec, project manager in Total Gas & Power's Strategy unit and a member of the organizing team drawn from Total & Engie (formerly GDF Suez), the WGC's two host sponsors.

Team Workshops

The Youth Event is a unique opportunity for young people to take part in an international experience and expand their networks, an ever more decisive factor in building careers. In addition to the various gatherings and social events, participants will be split into teams for discussion workshops. They will focus on two topics of particular interest to the industry:

  • Sustainable energy for all.
  • Attracting and retaining youth, especially women.

The workshops are expected to produce concrete guidelines and proposals and a judges' panel will decide which ones are the most valuable and innovative. The members of the winning team will gain significant exposure, as they'll be invited to present their conclusions to all WGC attendees at the closing ceremony of the main conference.

"The 2050 Energy Mix Won't Exist Without Gas"

The gas industry is counting on the WGC to spark the interest of young professionals and maybe even inspire a few career choices. The fact is, the growing gas industry is hungry for talent and definitely plans to showcase its strengths and play up the variety of its professional fields. "It is truly a long-term growth sector,” says David Nedelec. “A 2050 energy mix without gas is unimaginable." So gas has stable but highly challenging career opportunities to offer: more complicated to explore for and store than oil, gas will also require innovation to improve liquefied natural gas (LNG) technologies and address the challenges of urban networks.

The gas sector also includes more negotiating and market analysis fields, or "office jobs" kinder to one's personal life than production site positions.

Another decisive selling point for young people is climate. Emitting only half as much carbon as coal for the same amount of energy produced and an ideal partner of renewables, gas has a considerable case to make for itself on climate.