Major research into the skills landscape of North Sea oil and gas could be a real game-changer for the industry.
Led by oil and gas industry training body Opito, a pioneering new study aims to identify the extent of the current skills gap in the sector.
It is hoped that findings from the research, which is backed by various bodies including the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, Oil & Gas UK and Subsea UK, will provide a foundation for the first ever national oil and gas sector skills strategy.
Fieldwork will start on Monday, November 4, and survey results will be launched in early 2014.
“Skills shortages have been identified as one of the biggest challenges facing the industry and, while we have seen a number of reports authored over the last two to three years, variations in the findings in this field have caused confusion for industry and training providers,” said Opito managing director John McDonald.
“This survey will provide the definitive source of industry-recognised information on the size and demographics of the labour market from across the sector and partner organisations to ensure better understanding of the workforce profile.”
More than 1,000 organisations are being asked to share detailed information about their workforce, both on and offshore, and their projected skills needs for the future.
They will also be asked how they expect their organisations to grow over the next two years, what specific job roles will be most in demand and what the key challenges have been in recruiting people to fill these gaps in the past.
Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said the research would support the government’s ongoing work to ensure education providers understood the industry’s current and future skills needs.
“As a sector that is now estimated to support 450,000 jobs across the UK, of which around 50% are in Scotland, I am delighted that industry and stakeholders are working together to ensure that the skills issue within the industry does not impact future growth,” he said.
See our exclusive interview with John McDonald at www.energyvoice.com