Aberdeen's global status under threat
10 Sep 2012
London - Aberdeen is in danger of losing it status as an international oil & gas hub if it does not increase its oil and gas workforce, a report by accountancy firm PwC suggests.
According to PwC, a shortage of skilled workers could threaten Aberdeen’s aim to position itself as a global energy hub. It estimates that 120,000 new recruits are required to replace its depleting workforce - almost 50% of whom are over 45 years old.
Recruitment experts believe that this means that oil companies must look beyond oil and gas engineers to recruit. The situation is being made all the more acute by the Chancellor’s announcement of tax breaks for older North Sea oil and gas fields.
There simply aren’t enough engineers with oil and gas experience to fulfil this demand, according to Keith Lewis, managing director of engineering recruitment firm Matchtech.
“Putting this into perspective, there are only 20,000 oil and gas engineers out there in employment - of which only 48% work in Aberdeen,” said Lewis. “In order to meet this demand, the city must attract more than 12 times its current number of employees in only 10 years. To say this is a challenge is an understatement.
“Oil companies must look beyond the current crop of oil and gas engineers and begin to embrace those from other industry sectors and now, with the Chancellor’s latest announcement, is the best time to do this.
Lewis believes that by capitalising on the breadth of transferable skills out there, Aberdeen can maintain its position at the forefront of the energy industry.
“Nurturing the workforce of the future is also vital, not only to meeting the current needs of the energy industry, but if it is to continue to thrive in the future and reach its potential as being a global energy hub,” he concluded.
