Apprentices and Graduates are answer to the industry skills shortage say managers in the oil indu

WASHINGTON, U.K. - March 19, 2013 - PRLog -- Whilst targeted to Service Companies, and therefore only questioning a niche sector of the industry, Oil Consultant’s survey results prove to be interesting reading which could provide a starting point for solutions going forward.

“Oil Consultants are a provider of skilled and technical personnel to the oil industry” Helen Smith, CEO, “so for us it is interesting to see how the skills shortage is affecting our clients and if there is anything we could be doing as a company to help them overcome any difficulties.  To do this we needed to know what our clients felt were the main reasons behind the problem and what, if anything, we should be doing in the future.”

According to the survey results, only 23% of respondents felt that there were plenty of good quality candidates available in the market at the moment.  When asked to rate availability by the type of candidate required it became clear that employers are struggling to find personnel with extended experience in either a specific skilled discipline or within a commercial setting.

When questioned as to the reasons for this shortage the majority of respondents felt it was down to an aging workforce with insufficient plans for skills transfer.  Surprisingly, only 21% believed that developing technologies had an influence on the problem, a factor that has been cited in the past as one of the main causes.

Despite these results only 50% of respondents said that a better skills transfer programme was one way to overcome the shortage with the majority choosing investment in apprentices and graduates as a good way forward.

In conclusion Helen said “this survey throws up as many questions as it answers.  Whilst investment in training programmes can only benefit the industry we were surprised that so few respondents felt skills transfer programmes were needed when compared to how many believed that a lack of this activity was actually causing the shortage.  Perhaps the true answer lies somewhere in-between, with better training for apprentices and graduates, particularly in the area of new technologies, coupled with mentoring and support programmes provided by more senior staff members and the consultants brought in to work on short term, specialised projects.  I don’t think anyone knows the right answer but it is definitely an issue that the industry must tackle if it is to continue being profitably productive in the future.”

The full results of the Oil Consultants survey can be read at www.oc99.blogspot.co.uk

Oil Consultants Ltd provide individuals and teams of skilled technical personnel to clients in the upstream Oil and Gas industry.  Headquartered in the UK with offices in numerous locations, including Brisbane, Australia, the company serves an international client base as well as offering a 24/7 service to its consultants.  For more information please visit www.oc99.com