Employers in the Gulf of Mexico are deciding to offer new recruits staff roles rather than contract positions.
Job board OilCareers.com found that the percentage of contract and staff positions was equally split in 2009, but has now shifted to five times as many staff jobs.
Pauline Redpath, global recruitment manager at Expro, said: “Due to the increasing difficulties facing the sector in recruiting workers equipped with the desired skills, companies, including Expro, are now focused on capturing and retaining new talent and developing them into our leaders of the future – this has meant a move away from using temporary or contract workers.
“Other factors such as the aging workforce may also have a part to play in a higher percentage of new permanent staff being recruited in trainee programmes geared at reducing the potential skills gap in the coming years.”
Vacancies most in demand in the Gulf of Mexico are said to be qualified designers, engineers and seismic interpreter/geoscientists.
Mark Guest, managing director of OilCareers.com said: “Oil and gas majors view the on-going skills shortage as the biggest threat to the sector and it is clear that they are stepping up efforts to develop strategies that help present the energy sector as a secure, assured and affluent career path to individuals to best ensure the constant flow of skills needed to fulfill the potential of their assets.”