This Is Geoscience
The thriving and inclusive community of the Geological Society relies on a critical foundation: community itself. For years, concerns have circulated about the disconnect between society’s growing need for geoscience and trends such as reduced access to geoscience education in schools, university course closures, recruitment challenges, reskilling needs, sector transformation, and outdated public perceptions – these concerns have echoed throughout our meetings, events and forums.
Such discussions are underpinned by a deep and enduring passion within our community to ensure geoscience remains accessible, engaging, relevant, and welcoming. In the face of pressing global challenges – climate change, environmental protection, and sustainability – this passion to sustain the sector has never been more vital.
Inspiring future generations
To advance the role of geoscience in addressing these challenges, we recognise that we must begin by influencing future generations. This means providing young people with relatable, inspiring, and accurate careers advice, alongside equitable, high-quality, and engaging education. To foster interest in the natural world, geoscience must first be understood, appreciated, and accessible to all.
This is Geoscience will showcase the value of geoscience to society, highlight opportunities offered by a geoscience career, and promote the potential of planet-focused science
Over the past two years, the Society has been working on an ambitious project to promote geoscience in the context of our modern world. Our new campaign, ‘This is Geoscience’, seeks to address key issues facing the discipline today. It aims to refresh the narrative around geoscience by showcasing its value to society, highlighting the opportunities a geoscience career offers, and promoting the potential of planet-focused science.
Critical insights
A core part of this campaign is an in-depth view of the state of the wide-reaching geoscience industries and research landscape, with the aim of understanding the current offering for an inquisitive, prospective geoscientist. Through this research we have sought to better understand the trends in geoscience recruitment at degree level, both in the UK and internationally. By tracking population size and demographics, as well as the evolution of a geoscience degree over time, we have built up a better picture of the geoscience pipeline than ever before. Our foundational ‘This is Geoscience’ report contains critical insights into the latest salary and job market information, as well as recruitment and enrolment trends over the past two decades.
Our foundational report contains important insights into the job market, as well as recruitment and enrolment trends over the past two decades
‘This is Geoscience’ has been designed to inspire young people to see themselves within the field – encouraging education, training, and careers across a wide range of disciplines. Ultimately, it seeks to open a world of possibilities for future generations and sustain geoscience as a discipline for years to come.
Reshaping perceptions
This bold initiative also aims to increase public awareness of geoscience, counteract declining enrolment, and help mitigate potential future skills shortages across the sector. Central to the campaign is a desire to reshape public perceptions by showcasing geoscience’s relevance, diversity, and crucial role in solving global challenges.
Through our public communications campaign, we will highlight the many fascinations and curiosities geoscience offers to those drawn to the natural world and understanding our place within it. To illustrate the rewarding and future-proof nature of a geoscience career, we’ve explored what geoscience looks like today – and sought to illustrate what it may become to society. We’ve asked: What draws people to the geosciences? How can we connect with those who care deeply about our planet, think creatively, or engage with the world in unique ways?
As a membership organisation, community is at the core of everything we do. ‘This is Geoscience’ not only promotes and celebrates the geoscience community as it stands today but also aims to create influential and relatable role models for the geoscientists of tomorrow.
If you share our passion for inspiring the next generation, we’d welcome your support. Donations will help grow ‘This is Geoscience’ and sustain our wider education and outreach activities – engaging young people, schools and the public with the vital role of geoscience in society. To find out how your gift could make a difference, please contact development@geolsoc.org.uk.
For more information visit thisisgeoscience.com or contact thisisgeoscience@geolsoc.org.uk.
