Press Release

IMCA COMMISSIONS SKILLS SHORTAGE SURVEY

In recent years a perceived shortage of skilled personnel in a number of areas has been the subject of considerable debate in the offshore oil and gas industry. In addition, the issue of an aging workforce has been said to consistently worry employers.

Members of IMCA - the International Marine Contractors Association - are eager to find out more about any current or predicted shortfall in the area of expertise that affects the marine contracting section of the industry in order to prepare better for future activities.

To come up with hard and meaningful facts and figures IMCA, which has over 200 member companies in 30 countries, has commissioned a survey not only to quantify the perceived shortage of personnel within the marine and offshore contracting workforce, but to review the current and future needs of workforce skills in the marine contracting industry.

"With robust information, IMCA will be much better placed to liase with government and training organisations to ensure yawning gaps do not emerge over the coming decade among both offshore marine and onshore technical staff," explains IMCA's Chairman, Steve Preston. "We will be asking members to fully support the survey because its results are likely to affect the long term future of the sector as a whole."

The survey will be undertaken during September with the results published in the autumn. "The Council of IMCA is eager to hear from 30 or so of our largest international contractor members about what jobs are the most difficult to fill; where they are; and what is being done globally to attract new recruits to the industry," explains Hugh Williams, IMCA's Chief Executive.

"We have commissioned BDI to undertake the survey on our behalf. In all likelihood it will require input from human resources, business development and operations departments to capture accurately the number of people employed currently and future needs based on industry forecasts together with information about recruiting staff, and aims to cover the worldwide workforce."

Contractors undertaking the survey are being asked a wide range of questions from numbers of people they currently employ under the headings of onshore personnel and offshore employee descriptions; taken from IMCA's guidance for competence assurance and assessment schemes; how many people they believe they will employ under these headings in two and in five years; and the influences on employment (these range from the oil price to moves to deeper waters; and from changes in taxation to market share/market size situations).

"We're really grasping the nettle and taking the opportunity to find out a great deal about our members' international recruitment policies and views," says Hugh Williams. "The results will not only make fascinating reading, but this important piece of work will lead to a report which all members can share and act upon."