The University of New Mexico is one of 10 schools throughout the country participating in the AFPM Recruitment Challenge. The program, sponsored by the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) and developed and managed by EdVenture Partners, challenges students to create an integrated marketing campaign aimed at increasing interest in and awareness of the fuel and petrochemical manufacturing industries and the career opportunities they offer.

As part of the program, undergraduate marketing students in the Anderson School of Management digital marketing course have formed a student-run agency to develop and implement the campaign using a $1,000 budget provided by AFPM.

Student participants in the program are encouraged to develop and implement original social and digital media content for use by AFPM and its members to increase awareness of the positive benefits of the industries as well as spur recruitment of skilled craft professionals, technical professionals and administrative staff.

 “Through participation in education-industry initiatives such as this one, our students are acquiring the hard and soft skills sought after by local and national employers,” said faculty mentor John Benavidez.

The fuel and petrochemical industries, two of the largest in the U.S., collectively support nearly two million American jobs. The industries are expected to support almost 3.9 million jobs by 2025. According to a 2014 The State of American Energy report, the average annual salary is $111,542 in the refinery industry. The 2015 Guide to the Business of Chemistry states that the average annual salary in the chemical industry is $93,000.

Launched in 2014, the AFPM Workforce Development portal acts as a gateway for individuals who are interested in learning more about working in the fuel and petrochemical industries. The site includes information about job types, educational opportunities, job resources and much more.

The top three participating schools will be invited to Houston to present their research, campaign and results to AFPM and industry executives. The top team will receive a scholarship prize of $5,000, followed by $3,000 for second place, and $1,000 for third.

To connect with career opportunities in the fuel and petrochemical manufacturing industries, visit AFPM Workforce Development. To learn more about the student campaign, follow the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For more information, contact Christian Bourque via email bourque@unm.edu or call (505) 908-1456.