With data at the center of the digital revolution of the energy industry, oil and gas companies have a great need for candidates ready to tackle data challenges from day one. Students with well-honed data and analytics skills are already a step ahead when going through the recruiting process. Yet, many universities struggle to provide adequate coursework covering these skills. It’s a gap that the University of Houston (UH), a leading research and academic institution located in the energy capital of the country, wasn’t satisfied leaving alone.
In fact, UH has started a new initiative to better prepare students for a career in one of the most data-rich industries, energy.
By equipping students with key data concepts and hands-on experience in data analytics, UH is better preparing them for the workforce of today and giving them the experience needed to stand out when applying for jobs.
Confident data analysis
Previously, UH had relied on Excel to teach statistical concepts, but this tool didn’t allow students to dig deeper into the data or tell a story around the data based on trends and patterns they uncovered.
By partnering with Spotfire®, UH enables students to explore, wrangle, and manipulate data with confidence and ease—to better understand and communicate what they’ve found to others.
What’s more, professors are teaching students how to apply data to discussions around supply and demand and other current events affecting the oil and gas industry. Students are employing Spotfire to generate visualizations and models about their observations of the market, providing in-depth analyses and predictions.
Sparking passion
Even more exciting than simply arming students with a valuable new skill, these projects are inspiring students to apply data analytics to their personal interests. In one such passion project, UH MBA student Zeinab Zamani created a dashboard of energy development in countries outside the U.S. to help identify possible lucrative investments for energy companies.
The purpose of education isn’t just to prepare the next generation of workers. But also to spark new interests and passions in students—to make them excited for the work they’ll be doing and further push the envelope of innovation. UH’s partnership with Spotfire accomplishes both.
Initiatives like this one have propelled UH’s Bauer MBA program to the 38th spot in a recent ranking by U.S. News & World Report of top MBA programs in the nation. To learn more about how UH is partnering with us to give students the hands-on skills they need to succeed, read the full case study.
Are you a higher education institution looking at empower your students with the latest industry software to develop their skills and prepare them for the workforce? Contact us today to become an academic partner.