Friday 21 June 2013

Oil & Gas UK Announces Keynote Speakers for Breakfast Briefing on Skills

Fergus Ewing MSP, minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism; Dave Stewart, managing director UK, Wood Group PSN and Dr Alix Thom, Oil & Gas UK’s employment and skills issues manager are the speakers at Oil & Gas UK’s next breakfast briefing entitled “The UK Continental Shelf Skills Shortage – Challenges and Opportunities”. . The event takes place at Aberdeen’s Conference and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday June 26.

With investment in the UKCS at record levels and recent surges in activity, the industry is focused on developing a deeper understanding of its workforce profile to enable it to meet the growing demand for skilled personnel. The breakfast briefing will provide delegates with the first opportunity to hear the results of Oil & Gas UK’s 2013 Workforce Demographics Report as well as learn about programmes being developed by the Government and industry to sustain the supply of workers throughout the industry.

Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism, Fergus Ewing, said: ‪“The oil and gas industry in Scotland still has a bright and vibrant future ahead of it. We are currently in an exciting period of new investment and new discoveries – with the latest Oil & Gas UK Activity Report showing that companies have just under £100 billion of capital investment in their business plans.

‪“Scotland’s oil and gas sector leads the world. With more than half of the value of the North Sea's oil and gas reserves yet to be extracted, up to 24 billion recoverable barrels with a potential wholesale value of £1.5 trillion, oil and gas will remain an enormous economic resource for decades to come.  Oil & Gas UK’s 2013 Workforce Demographics Report will provide further helpful insight into what and where these new opportunities will be and how the Scottish Government and its agencies, through Energy Skills Scotland, can ensure that Scotland has the skilled workforce available to capitalise on these.”

Dave Stewart will outline a range of initiatives Wood Group PSN is implementing across its workforce, as well as how the company works with the supply chain to ensure the best use of available resources. In addition to presenting the findings of Oil & Gas UK’s new 2013 Workforce Demographics Report, Dr Alix Thom will deliver an update on work being developed with the Ministry of Defence, and other sectors, to support the transition of skilled people in their mid-career into the oil and gas industry. 

The breakfast will also be attended by representatives from the armed forces, including Colonel Hugo Grant, Deputy Commander (South) of 51 (Scottish) Brigade, who will join the guest speakers in a panel session chaired by Robert Paterson, Oil & Gas UK’s Health and Safety Director.

Places at the breakfast can be booked online here