OIL and gas experts have launched a study of the North Sea labour market to help ensure the industry develops the skills base needed to respond to the big changes it will face over the next 20 years.
The study aims to establish what kinds of skills are available in the North Sea and how factors such as technological change will affect the mix required.
Commissioned by oil and gas sector workforce development body OPITO, it will be completed by specialists at Robert Gordon University.
OPITO chief executive John McDonald said the project would consider the impact of the oil price decline since 2014, the expected increase in decommissioning activity and the application of new technology.
He noted: “Combined with an increased use of robotics and automation, these elements could materially impact the number and types of jobs required to support the industry.”
The results will be used to help develop a skills strategy to ensure the UK North Sea’s future success.
There have been complaints about skills shortages in the North Sea over the years.
The fall in the oil price that started in 2014 triggered a slump in the area.
In June last year trade body Oil & Gas UK estimated 120,000 jobs would be lost across the wider industry due to the downturn by the end of 2016. It reckoned 330,000 jobs were supported by oil and gas production.
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