Member Article

Professor Cox highlights fuel industry demand for engineers

Professor Brian Cox has put a spotlight on Britain’s need for a million more engineering graduates by 2020, at the Gastech conference held in London this week. The research fellow and TV personality said the government must implement better support in education to prevent a skills shortage in the gas and oil industry. The sector will address the lack of high-quality employees by creating thousands of jobs in coming years to support growth expectations. Industry experts at Gastech agreed with Professor Cox, as he identified the level of opportunity for engineers in the UK.

A report from training body OPITO said 15,000 extra gas and oil industry positions will be created in Britain in the next five years. Sustainability and efficiency are becoming increasingly important within supply chains, and the industry must keep up by innovating and employing highly skilled workers. The report showed that 44% of businesses in the sector expected to grow this year, however Gastech highlighted the need for more jobs to support these ambitions.

David Ripley, Oil & Gas UK’s supply chain director, commented: “Contractors continue to enjoy high activity levels fulfilling existing contract commitments in the UK as well as expanding the export of their services and products to clients around the globe. They have, however, become increasingly aware of the challenge of sourcing skilled personnel and equipment, for example drilling rigs, in a tight market, with operating and manpower costs rising and margins being squeezed.”

A recruitment drive will be put into action to safeguard growth in the industry, and firms that are already meeting graduate and trainee targets will look to engineers with at least five years experience to “hit the ground running” with major projects.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .