Lifelong learning is a prominent issue currently on the minds of educators and employers, as illustrated in discussions during the SPE Sixth Colloquium on Petroleum Engineering Education (CPEE 2004). Lifelong learning, the focus of this colloquium, includes developing learning skills while in college and continuing education of engineers beyond college. Working together to build a stronger educational experience for petroleum engineers, academics, and employers identified the technical and personal strengths being required of engineers by industry and began to implement several action items to communicate the evolving educational roles of academia, industry, the service sector, government, and SPE. The 49 session participants—representing academia, industry, and the service sector—met for 3 days in August 2004 at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado, to enhance under-standing of industry education needs and to discuss how universities—in partnership with industry, service companies, and government—can help fill those needs. Qualifying the Graduate Engineer Assessment of technical and personal qualifications of recently graduated engineers, the establishment and global acceptance of certification standards, a look at innovative teaching programs, and information gleaned from a survey of young energy professionals were topics highlighted in five Colloquium sessions. The session titled “From Emerging Graduate to Emerging Leader” focused on the viewpoints and expectations of employers, recent graduates, and academics. Brice Peterson of Shell, Larry Schwartz of Schlumberger, Julie Struble of Anadarko, and Ganesh Thakur of ChevronTexaco examined their respective current viewpoints and expectations as engineering employers. From the industry perspective, some of the skills and attributes that recruiters seek in new hires are effective communication and teamwork abilities, analytical and problem-solving skills, judgment and decision-making capabilities, adaptability, initiative and motivation, all in addition to technical and professional knowledge.