Clear benefits to taking the plunge into training
It may seem surprising that, in an era of economic austerity, the Scottish energy sector should find itself short of a raft of important skills, but this talent gap is nothing new.
For some years now, as the industry has risen and dropped through economic cycles, there has been one constant: the need to attract new people who want to commit themselves to careers at the forefront of engineering and technology.
Part of the problem is, quite simply, a mismatch between the skills development which is being offered by colleges and universities and the real-life requirements of companies.
However, David Ginnie, managing director of the Oil and Gas Academy, the industry's focal group for skills and workforce development, admits that the industry is at least partly to blame, but he says that things are improving. "We are getting better at matching the supply chain of skills to demand in the industry through better connections with education and government"
Binnie says particular difficulties can be expected in the period between 2012 and 2016, when a lot of projects are expected to come online, as project management and engineering skills will then be in real demand.
"There are other developments which are also going to require skills in the future, including decommissioning and offshore wind, and there could be significant resourcing issues around these. We've also got to deal with new build, modifications and subsea tiebacks."
He concedes that the sector still has a `job of work" to do in order to sell itself effectively. "We need to tell the story attractively - using phrases such as 'mature' or 'declining' doesn't really work. We have to get the message across that we are alive and kicking, we're feeding 100,000 people from the UK into the global workplace and we're going to continue to do that."
Certainly the message should be a compelling one. Energy companies, whether they be in the oil and gas sector or in the emerging field of renewables, operate at the frontiers of technology, making them attractive for any young science or engineering graduate.
They also offer good money and benefits, a flexible lifestyle, huge potential for career development and the possibility of foreign working and travel.
In some areas, there are signs the message is getting through.
The University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, for instance, is increasing the number of students taking engineering courses. Its Institute for Energy and Environment has more than 150 staff and is one of the largest electrical power engineering and energy technology centres in Europe.
Last year, it also set up the Doctoral Training Centre to train highly-skilled graduates in wind-energy systems in order to address a skills shortage in this area. This provides for at least 10 places a year on PhD programmes for graduates so they can bring their talents to the wind-energy industry.
Professor Graeme Burt, the Institute's codirector, says the power supply sector in particular faces a skills gap. "There is a poor age profile as far as about 25 per cent of the sector is concerned, and most experienced staff will be leaving in the next ten years or so.
"We are involved in a number of major initiatives to try and do something about that.
We're very industry-focused and well aware of the employment needs of companies." Burt says the problem of skills shortages will also hit the burgeoning renewables sector unless remedial action is taken. "We want to achieve a green future, but we don't have the skills in the UK to benefit from that. We have to build up key enabling skills such as electrical power engineering"
Another area where demand for qualified staff is growing is commercial diving. There is a constant need for divers to maintain existing offshore oil and gas installations, with experienced personnel being able to earn up to 0,200 a day on contracts.
On top of this, at least another 2,200 divers will be needed over the next six years to help build and develop Europe's rapidly-expanding offshore wind sector, according to the Underwater Centre in Fort William, one of Scotland's premier training facilities.
Steve Ham, the centre's general manager, warns: "There is a danger that demand will outstrip availability of trained subsea personnel which, in turn, could affect the pro¬gression of some of the wind farm projects." Subsea companies, too, are reporting strong growth prospects for the next five years and are worried that skills shortages could constrain growth. More than 85 per cent of firms are actively seeking to recruit.
Alistair Birnie, chief executive of the repre¬sentative body Subsea UK, says: "If the UK sector is to continue to be competitive, we must close the skills gap now and not wait until we are clipping into a limited pool of resources."
Energy Ecosse, The Scotsman, 1st September 2010, Andrew Collier