An Update on Scenario-based COMET Training for Careers in the Weather, Water, and Climate Industry

According to Forbes.com, “the meteorology profession has changed drastically over the past decade. There are now more than 10,000 meteorologists working in the U.S. today because the interest and desire to understand weather is becoming increasingly important, not only to consumers, but also businesses that are making critical decisions based on the information provided by meteorologists” (2020). With the explosive growth of the weather and climate industry, the job market for meteorologists is projected to continue to grow rapidly, with much of the growth occurring in the private sector.

Over the past 5-10 years, students and faculty from multiple atmospheric science programs have expressed that there is a clear lack of awareness regarding existing private sector career opportunities and the requisite skill sets to pursue those careers. To address this systematic lack of awareness concerning the pathway to private sector employment, the AMS Mind the Gap Committee was created.

The 2022 Mind the Gap Workshop (NSF Award #2146763) recommended that The COMET Program, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), and the private sector work together to develop tangible private sector careers and skill-building materials and tools for meteorology educators. Under an NSF EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) (NSF Award #2237520), co-investigators created a two-phase approach to developing relevant education materials. Phase 1 focuses on potential private career sectors and the “power skills” necessary to be successful in these roles. The lessons feature video interviews with a variety of different private sector professionals across multiple sectors. We will present initial lesson feedback and updates on how the resources are being integrated into the classroom.

The second phase focuses on creating upper-level classroom exercises in which students will assume the role of one of several different private sector professionals. Here, students will analyze real industry case event data and use power skills to explain impacts and make appropriate decisions with colleagues and/or stakeholders. We will present phase 2 progress updates and discuss ways this resource can be integrated into the classroom.

All phase 1 and 2 materials will eventually be implemented on the well-known MetEd website, freely available to all universities and the public at large, and connected to over 1,000 hours of complementary geoscience education resources.