The oil and gas industry urgently needs digital natives. This is one of the key messages from Petroplan’s second ‘Talent Insight Index’. Just over a third of respondents pointed to the growing need for IT skills, as technological advances combine with the need to reduce costs and improve efficiency to make the digital oilfield a reality.
Meeting this need will take a combination of recruitment of fresh talent from outside the sector and upskilling of existing staff.
More than 2000 industry professionals took part in the survey.
Despite the prolonged downturn on oil prices, industry sentiment remains buoyant, with the majority of respondents of the opinion that oil and gas is a cyclical industry, and almost forty percent predicting a recovery in the next two years. In fact, the downturn seems to have had some beneficial side-effects, with almost half of respondents seeing improved decision-making, followed by greater innovation and increased productivity.
Rory Ferguson, CEO at Petroplan, commented: “The results of the Talent Insight Index show a clear opportunity for both the oil and gas industry and specialist recruiters. Companies need to build an employer brand that stands out, by offering training and a variety of work opportunities to both existing staff and new hires, and contractors as well as permanent employees.
The report also commented on the significance of technology and how companies will need to do more to attract and develop IT expertise, from graduates to mid-career professionals, who may never have considered the oil and gas sector. Recruiters will need to be proactive with their resources and networks to ensure that companies in our sector continue to be supported as the demand for talent starts to build again.”
Full findings and analysis from the ‘Talent Insight Index: an annual barometer for the oil, gas and energy industry’ can be accessed here.
Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/refining/27062017/petroplan-digital-natives-needed-urgently/
