Offshore industry acts to head off skills shortages
OPITO – The Oil & Gas Academy – has invited 1,000 employers nationwide to take part in a comprehensive labour market intelligence survey
The UK oil and gas industry is taking steps to avoid a repeat of previous skills shortages as it prepares for increased activity across the North Sea.
OPITO – The Oil & Gas Academy – has invited 1,000 employers nationwide to take part in a comprehensive labour market intelligence survey which is being conducted with the help of Robert Gordon University (RGU) and funded by Skills Development Scotland (SDS).
Aimed at identifying the industry’s pinch points, organisations spanning the construction, drilling, engineering, geoscience, marine, science, inspection and operations sectors have been asked to contribute.
Covering a range of topics, it is hoped the survey will help identify the qualifications and skills which the industry currently holds, pinpoint areas where companies perceive the biggest growth to their business to be and outline what skills are needed to support this.
Vitally, it will also provide a snapshot of recent and existing vacancies in the industry, giving a clear indication of the areas where additional focus is needed ahead of a projected increase in activity as new field developments and deepwater drilling projects off the north coast of Scotland get underway.
It is the first time the Academy, the industry’s focal point for skills, learning and workforce development, has embarked on such a major piece of research.
Managing director David Binnie said: “With 30 companies including oil majors BP, Chevron and Total holding interests in the West of Shetland; a rise in the number of potential new field developments in the Central North Sea; and a number of Brownfield development projects in the works over the next few years, we are in line for a significant increase in activity.
“The last thing we need is a return to the days of project delays, cost inflation and off the scale salary rises as companies fight to attract and retain the skilled workforce it needs to take advantage of these opportunities.
“This survey is vital way of gaining a snapshot of where companies themselves see the gaps, identifying what skills we have in abundance and where we need to focus our efforts.”
The results will be fed into both SDS’s skills review for the energy sector and the Scottish Government’s Energy Advisory Board.
Robert Orr, strategic relations manager for energy at SDS said: “It’s important that the oil and gas industry continues to not only attract skilled people but also retain talent as it moves to recover remaining oil and gas reserves, undertake decommissioning and support subsea growth. We are already seeing evidence of emerging skills gaps within many areas, and the energy sector as a whole faces significant challenges.
“The need for a more robust and informed sector skills strategy is vital and SDS, as part of its contribution to the work of the Scottish Energy Advisory Board, is pleased to support the work of the Academy to understand the scale, nature, and implications of the emerging skills needs.”
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