A report into UK oil and gas workforce dynamics, called UKCS Workforce Dynamics Review, indicates that more than 40,000 new people will need to be recruited into the industry over the next 20 years, including 10,000 in posts that don’t even exist today.
The UKCS Workforce Dynamics Review, which was created by the global energy skills body OPITO in collaboration with the RGU Oil and Gas Institute, reviews the changing skills requirements for the industry over the next 20 years. The research provides a roadmap for a new skills strategy to ensure the sector will take advantage of new roles and diversification opportunities.
[smlsubform prepend=”GET THE SAFETY4SEA IN YOUR INBOX!” showname=false emailtxt=”” emailholder=”Enter your email address” showsubmit=true submittxt=”Submit” jsthanks=false thankyou=”Thank you for subscribing to our mailing list”]
Presenting different scenarios, the report shows that despite the fact that total employment will reduce over time, if the industry achieves its ambitions around Vision 2035 and the lower carbon transition, tens of thousands more posts can be secured and around 10,000 people will need to be recruited in new digital roles that don’t exist today in data analytics, data science, robotics and remote operations.
The key findings of the study can be summarized as following:
- Over 40,000 people are expected to enter the industry over the next 20 years, including around 10,000 in new areas such as data science, data analytics, robotics, material science, change management and remote operations.
- Over 80,000 workers are likely to retire or leave the sector for other reasons by 2035.
- Following the downturn between 2014 and 2017, the industry lost over 70,000 direct and indirect jobs. If the industry can achieve the goals around Vision 2035 and the wider energy diversification, the industry should be able to sustain over 130,000 roles in 2035, compared to around 170,000 in 2017.
- Closer collaboration is required between industry and training providers to up-skill and re-skill the workforce to improve technology capabilities across the industry and ensure it is competing effectively with other sectors for the best candidates.
- A new skills strategy is now required to ensure the industry responds effectively to securing future talent requirements and achieving the best case scenario to safeguard posts.
Representatives from operating companies and supply chain firms from in the UK participated in the data gathering exercise. The data collected totalled 34,000 roles, representing 50% of the gross operated production in the UKCS.
See more information in the PDF herebelow
