More than 400 servicemen, including many who have recently fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, are being courted by oil and gas companies trying to ease the skills shortage in the industry.

More than 400 servicemen, including many who have recently fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, are being courted by oil and gas companies trying to ease the skills shortage in the industry.

The servicemen are all scheduled to leave the forces in the near future and yesterday arrived in Aberdeen from all over the UK and Germany to attend a specially organised careers fair and speak directly to representatives from around 25 companies in the booming sector.

The fair was organised by Scottish Enterprise Grampian and Careers Transition Partnership which works with the Ministry of Defence to provide resettlement services, training and new employment for all armed forces personnel about to leave the services.

Vacancies on offer included project managers, engineers covering a broad range of disciplines, mechanics, remotely-operated vehicle staff, logistics specialists and administration staff. There were also apprenticeships and trainee positions available.

Romana Grant, regional employment and training manager for CTP in Scotland, said that in the past they had placed a high number of service leavers in roles in the oil and gas sector.

"It is one of the few industries offering a range of opportunities in Scotland. The salary levels are attractive and they can use the skills and knowledge they have, but also because they are used to being away from home the way of life works well."

Susan Leheny, group human resources manager at Hydrasun, which was represented at the event, said: "We have successfully recruited a number of service leavers into a wide variety of roles over the last few years, including offshore and management positions.

"Within the highly-competitive recruitment market we have found the CTP offers a valuable recruitment tool allowing us to access a wide variety of candidates, all with highly transferable skills."

Ian Heywood, director of growing business and skills at Scottish Enterprise Grampian, said there was a desperate shortage of personnel in the oil and gas industry, which is incredibly buoyant.

"We have had 30 years of the North Sea oil and gas industry and there are another 30 years of reserves still there so this is an industry which will continue to provide excellent career opportunities well into the future."