A recent report by accountancy firm PwC suggests a shortage of skilled workers c ...

A recent report by accountancy firm PwC suggests a shortage of skilled workers could threaten Aberdeen’s aim to position itself as a global energy hub and that 120,000 new recruits are required to replace its depleting workforce - almost 50% of whom are over 45 years old. The news came as the UK Chancellor announced tax breaks for older North Sea oil and gas fields. Keith Lewis, Managing Director of Matchtech, a UK recruiter in the engineering space, said: ‘The simple fact is there just aren’t enough engineers with oil and gas experience to fulfil this demand. Putting this into perspective, there are only 20,000 oil and gas engineers out there in employment - of which only 48% work in Aberdeen. In order to meet this demand, the city must attract more than 12 times its current number of employees in only 10 years. To say this is a challenge is an understatement.’ ‘Oil companies must look beyond the current crop of oil and gas engineers and begin to embrace those from other industry sectors and now, with the Chancellor’s latest announcement, is the best time to do this. This will be crucial in turning the monumental task into a reality. Aberdeen has a wealth of highly skilled engineers and by capitalising on the breadth of transferable skills out there it can maintain its position at the forefront of the energy industry. Nurturing the workforce of the future is also vital, not only to meeting the current needs of the energy industry, but if it is to continue to thrive in the future and reach its potential as being a global energy hub.’