Workforce Requirement in the Oil and Gas Sector
The oil and gas industry in the United Kingdom acts as part of a global business and the products thus produced are traded across different parts of the world. It has been observed that, there has been a decline in the industry output since 2000 and things are unlikely to change till 2017. The requirements of the industry are apparent from the high energy prices, the uncertainty that hovers around the reserves of oil and gas, oil price unpredictability, and the reservoir performance. However, all of these reports do not pay equal emphasis on the extraction and discovery part. The offshore industry in UK is expected to make a sizable contribution to the energy supply resources of the country. Oil and gas recruitment thus has a key role to play in the functioning of the sector.
Over the years, the gas and oil production resources in the North Sea region are expected to fall thus making it extremely difficult to locate new reserves of oil. Decommissioning activities, current operations, the retirement of the present workforce, and ongoing operations all form a part of the industry.
Some of the key facts about the industry can help one to get an idea about the oil and gas vacancies thus created. The workforce in the country is highly skilled and therefore in demand around the globe. The industry works on a high capital reserve and the expenditure runs up to £5.6 billion. There have been sizable research and investment in the sector.
There are two basic divisions when it comes to jobs in the oil and gas sector. They are broadly categorised into offshore technicians and discipline engineers. Discipline engineers include engineers, principal/specialist engineer, graduate engineer, operations and engineering management and lead/senior engineer. The offshore technician department features varied roles such as production technician, operations management, maintenance technician, shift supervisor and lead or senior production technician.
When it comes to career opportunities in the field, these are usually long term engagements that are well compensated. Managing an entry into the sector is not much difficult. People straight out of their schools and colleges can find their way into the sector in the capacity of technicians or operators. A stint as an apprentice can also help the incumbent to acquire relevant experience in the oil and gas industry and process technology. You can also expect to find a place in the industry completing a vocational degree, one that revolves around maintenance engineering and process engineering operations or maintenance. There is also much scope for in-house development and training. The higher education courses are designed in a way that they impart practical training in order to equip graduates to be at par with industry standards.
As far as occupational trends go, there has been a high demand for process operatives, skilled managers, professionals, technicians and engineers throughout. There is greater need felt to replace the workforce that is almost on the verge of retirement. Roustabouts who are involved with elementary tasks constitute only 1% of the total workforce.
Author Bio: Steven Hayes is a recruitment consultant and offers both recruiters and potential recruits advice on various aspects of their careers. He is consulted by people interested in oil and gas vacancies.
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