Oil and gas professionals demand improved training from employers

The fourth annual Global Energy Talent Index (GETI), the world’s largest energy recruitment and employment trends report, was just released and showed that oil and gas professionals are concerned at a perceived lack of investment in their training and development.

The report by Airswift, the global workforce solutions provider for the energy, process and infrastructure sectors, and Energy Jobline, a leading jobsite for the energy and engineering industries, reveals that nearly half of sector professionals believe that their employer does not regularly invest in their training and development and one-in-three claim not to have received any training in the past year.

Of those who do receive regular training, most say it relates to improving their current job performance. Few training recipients say it relates to skills beyond their current job (18 per cent) or to further their career (14 per cent).

Janette Marx, chief executive officer at Airswift, says: “The oil and gas sector is blessed with a highly engaged workforce. The question is how to keep ambitious and motivated professionals engaged throughout their careers. Training and development opportunities are clearly a very important piece of the puzzle.

“However, I suspect that there is a perception issue at play in these results. Of course, there is room for improvement and companies should always look to improve the training on offer. But they should also work hard to communicate the opportunities that are already available to make sure employees are aware and able to make the most of them.”

In addition to providing much-needed insights into professionals’ satisfaction with training and a number of wider cultural issues, GETI is also the industry’s most comprehensive salary and mobility study. Key findings within oil and gas include:

-          Remuneration continues to rise. Forty-two per cent of professionals have seen an increase in pay over the past year, with one-in-five reporting a raise of more than five per cent

-          Two-thirds (64 per cent) of non-hiring professionals expect further pay increases in 2020, with 40 per cent eyeing raises above five per cent. Hiring managers report broadly the same expectations: 66 per cent and 40 per cent respectively

-          Ninety-one per cent of professionals would consider relocating to another region for their job, with career progression opportunities the number one factor attracting talent to a region

-          Renewables and petrochemicals remain the biggest sources of competition for talent, winning the votes of 43 per cent and 32 per cent of those open to switching sectors, respectively

Hannah Peet, managing director at Energy Jobline, says: “Competition for talent in the energy industry keeps getting tougher and tougher, with an already globally mobile workforce increasingly willing to switch to whichever sector presents the best opportunities.

“The oil and gas sector is well set up to succeed, with pay continuing to rise from a high base. However, it must guard against complacency by prioritising progression and providing a clear career path for all employees, regardless of seniority, location or gender.”

Airswift and Energy Jobline surveyed 21,000 energy professionals and hiring managers in 169 countries across five industry sub-sectors: oil and gas, renewables, power, nuclear and petrochem