Veteran oil workers are being lured out of retirement to help plug the skills gap threatening the North Sea.
Oil and Gas UK said yesterday that, despite claims 40,000 new offshore jobs could be created over the next two years, there was an “undeniable” shortage of qualified workers.
Record investment – £14.4billion last year alone – is fuelling record demand for people.
Alix Thom, the industry body’s employment and skills issues manager, said bringing retired workers back to the sector, to work with new recruits, was helping to alleviate the problem.
“Companies are very willing to invest in what is a very buoyant market, resulting in high levels of activity which, in turn, generates well-rewarded employment opportunities,” she said.
“The industry is actively addressing the skills shortage in the short and long term in a number of ways. For example, it continues to be successful in attracting school-leavers and graduates by engaging with young people to encourage the uptake of Stem (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects and stimulate interest in the sector.
“We are also seeing a number of retirees returning to the oil and gas workforce in a number of flexible arrangements in order to share their skills, experience and knowledge.
“Other initiatives include helping to facilitate the transition of skilled people into the industry from other sectors, including the armed forces where skills such as engineering, logistics and project management are widely transferable to the oil and gas industry.”
The Bank of Scotland says nearly 40,000 jobs could be created in the North Sea over the next two years. A survey of oil and gas companies has found that many are planning to expand despite the industry facing an exploration crisis.
Confidence about growth prospects in 2014-15 remains high among 69% of bosses, but this is down on the 77% who predicted growth last year.
Concerns around talent have also grown, with 38% naming a shortage of skills as the greatest challenge they will face in the same period, up from 33% last year.