Petrochemical Sector Eyes Curricular Overhaul for Plan México

Authorities, experts, and industry leaders recently convened at the Mexican Oil Institute (IMP) for the First Annual Curricular Update Meeting for the Chemical and Petrochemical Sector. Organized in coordination with the Ministry of Public Education (SEP), the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS), the Ministry of Science, and ANUIES, the event focused on aligning educational curricula with the evolving needs of these vital industries in Mexico.

The chemical and petrochemical sectors are integral to President Claudia Sheinbaum's ambitious Plan México program, which aims to position Mexico among the world's Top 10 economies. To achieve this, Plan México seeks to strengthen various economic pillars, including the chemical and petrochemical sector, which has experienced a decline in recent years.

During her participation, Diana León, Head of the Energy Sector, Ministry of Economy, emphasized that these sectors are part of a national strategy to bolster the domestic market and national competitiveness. She highlighted that Plan México includes the modernization of key infrastructure and the promotion of private investment, requiring academic training directly aligned with productive demands. León stated that "productive reconversion will not be possible without a deep update of educational programs, without digital, environmental, and technical competencies, underscoring the need for collaboration between the private sector, government, and educational institutions.

In this context, the SEP is focused on identifying graduates from middle and higher education linked to these sectors, while the STPS aims to connect them with job opportunities. The private sector advocates for exposing young people and students to real-world cases as part of their training, ensuring they are prepared for the workforce. Experts at the meeting also stressed the importance of soft skills as a differentiator for professionals, citing collaboration, teamwork, problem-solving, responsibility, self-discipline, critical thinking, and analysis as highly sought-after skills in Mexico, according to Manpower Group.

According to Miguel Benedetto, Director General, National Association of the Chemical Industry (ANIQ), the chemical industry drives Mexico's economy by providing key inputs to 95% of productive sectors. He highlighted the enormous potential given trends like the energy transition, nearshoring, materials production, and climate change reversal. Benedetto asserted that "Mexico has the potential to develop a chemical industry with potential between US$44 and US$55 billion, generating 284,000 direct jobs."

The IMP emphasized the industry's crucial role in job creation and wealth generation for the country, highlighting key companies involved across the oil and gas value chain. In the upstream segment, the IMP noted US$18.9 billion in investments executed within exploration and extraction contracts. During this period, technological advancements have radically transformed the hydrocarbon industry, involving more complex fluids, challenging drilling operations, and increasing demands for cleaner fuels. The Institute underscored that the clean energy industry is becoming the largest employer in the energy sector, accounting for over 50% of the total energy workforce and creating more than 65 million direct and indirect jobs globally, with over 21 million specifically in the oil and gas sector.

In this context, the IMP deems it essential to update educational curricula and find ways to make the chemical and petrochemical sectors more appealing to young people beyond financial compensation, recognizing these as key drivers for national progress. The Institute also pointed out concerning trends, such as low graduation rates, with only 12.8% of students enrolled in geoscience or petrotechnical careers completing their degrees. To meet the future talent demand in Mexico's petrochemical sector, the IMP identifies several crucial competencies: AI and robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), wireless monitoring for digital wells and data science, new materials, green and blue hydrogen, energy transition, and automation for evaluating the quality of oil products.