The Ambassador Lecturer Program (ALP) is one of SPEs fundamental ways for Chapters to get involved with Professional Members in their area. It gets to the heart of what SPE is all about, building a supportive community and sharing information and guidance to the next generation of engineers.
The concept is simple, Young Professionals visit local SPE Chapters, universities, and even higher education Schools, to share practical guidance on what it is really like in the industry. Coming from YPs means that information is relevant and up to date from professionals who have just gone through the same industry climate and challenges that Students are about to face.
Unlike similar programs, such as Energy4me or the Distinguished Lecturer visits, the idea behind ALP is not to raise awareness of the energy industry or to focus on highly technical aspects. Instead it aims to give practical and informative advice for students fast approaching a career in oil and gas. At the same time we are keen to give the opportunity to YPs in the industry to gain valuable speaking experience than can be hard to come by in a working environment.
Recent feedback from one student in Venezuela said “there must be more of these events in the university to definitively motive the students of all energy careers, to connect more every day with the process and the industry professionals who always have new things to share with their future colleagues.”
In our ever changing industry there are a lot of questions from students considering their career prospects. Answers to their concerns cannot easily be found in a text book or even from the most experienced academic. However help can be found from those going through these challenges already. Presentation slides also include information on salaries in your area, up to date demographics and the major topics and concerns the industry is focused on.
Student development is not just important to the future of the industry but also important to our Young Professionals as well. Ensuring a strong network between generations helps both sides develop and stabilises the flow of talented engineers into the industry.
While many Sections actively seek Chapters to host events, SPE International is taking steps to make requesting ALPs as easy as possible. The team responsible for this is the Young Member Engagement Committee (YMEC), SPEs Standing Committee who manage global initiatives to help Young Members. As well as updating resources and slides for YPs presentations, YMEC have recently included ALPs as a category in Speaker Source. This allows Student Chapter Officers to search and contact YPs directly who want to give ALP visits.
While this new resource grows, YMEC continues to keep its own database on ALP volunteers who have signed up to this program, and your supporting Section Officers are still excellent contacts to approach to request a visit. Don’t forget that your local Section Student Chapter Liaison can be also found on our SPE Website through “Find a Section” page but if you are struggling to get hold of them just email alp@spe.org. SPE Staff can contact local registered volunteers directly or contact your supporting Section or local YPs on your behalf.
YMEC wants every Chapter to have the opportunity of an ALP visit and they will continue to improve and develop resources to enable this to happen. Your comments are always welcome and YMEC also has a feedback survey for Students following an ALP Visit on our ALP Webpage.
For more information on the Ambassador Lecturer Program, including requesting a visit, giving feedback and other frequently asked questions visit www.spe.org/members/ambassador-lecturer-program.php or email us at alp@spe.org.