DECOM North Sea, the body for the offshore decommissioning industry, has signed up to the skills charter of the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board.

The move underlines the need to maintain skills in the sector, as more than 5,500 wells, 400 facilities and 10,000 kilometres of pipeline are forecast to be decommissioned in the next 35 years.

Decom chief executive Nigel Jenkins said: "Decommissioning is a growth area for the offshore industry and this new relationship is highly significant for future skills development, with the potential to pioneer new industry standards and the extension of the range of approved training courses and providers available to members."