Thursday 23 August 2018

UK’s offshore oil and gas sector ‘must boost recruitment efforts’

The UK’s offshore oil and gas sector must boost efforts to recruit new talent if it is to realise its future ambitions.

That's according to industry representative Oil & Gas UK, which says if the industry is to achieve its 2035 targets of improving efficiency and adopting innovative new technologies, staff able to fit in with these new ways of working must be found.

The report expects total employment in offshore oil and gas to stabilise and increase slightly this year, rising to 282,700 from 280,000 in 2017.

This follows total employment supported by the industry falling by 14% in 2017, below previous estimates of 302,000, as the downturn continued to affect the supply chain.

The average offshore age of the workforce fell last year, with a 20% increase in offshore workers under the age of 30.

Women now represent 3% of the offshore workforce and 23% of the industry overall - this figure is improving but Oil & Gas UK says progress must accelerate.

The organisation's Workforce Engagement and Skills Manager, Dr Alix Thom, said: "Advancements in technology will inevitably spell new ways of working, for example increased digitalisation could see a rise in offshore work being done remotely.

"It will be vital for the industry to understand the existing and future skill profiles in the workforce and proactively develop the talent required."