The oil and gas industry is notorious for it’s booms and busts. The current downturn has already caused over 25-hundred lay-offs. The Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition says they have all hands on deck to ensure that the industry’s up and coming workers don’t get detoured because of this decline.

“For those that are worried about our business, don’t worry for too long yeah we’re in a downturn but we are going to bounce back just like we always do. We are resilient community and we are resilient state.””

“It’s going to come back up, it always has and it always will. We all need oil, said Barry Milligan.

According to the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, an estimated 4-thousand oil and gas industry jobs will fade in 2016.Tully Blanchard, Chairman of the Young Professionals of LAGCOE says they have a number of mentorship programs to develop relationships and pass the baton during tough times.

“We take a seasoned veteran of our industry and pair them with a younger up-and-coming professional, Said Blanchard.

Lafayette is home to more than 1,300 oil and gas industry companies, this means that the Hub city will definitely feel the brunt of industry layoffs.

Blanchard says Y-P-L And LAGCOE are in the beginning stages of formulating a new committee called the oil field alumni group.

“Our intentions are to grow that into a include some of those folks that are sitting at home and want to stay involved in network with the decision-makers inside of our industry, Said Blanchard.

Deron Santiny says his dad was in the oil field industry so he’s witnessed first hand it’s ups and downs and young people should definitely remain interested.

“They should stay with the oil and gas industry, it’s like everything else. It’s got its ups and its downs and it’s going to rebound eventually, Said Santiny.