Salaries in the global oil and gas industry are widely expected to rise this year, according to a new survey.
The findings come as an oil and gas gathering in Aberdeen today highlights the vital role the energy sector will play in Scotland’s economic recovery.
Skills and Lifelong Learning Minister Angela Constance will tell about 100 invited guests at the Marcliffe Hotel and Spa that industry, academia, skills agencies and government must work together to deliver a world-class workforce for oil and gas in Scotland.
She is speaking hot on the heels of the Global Oil and Gas Workforce Survey, in which recruitment firm Air Energi and job website Oil Careers.com teamed up for a study of current trends on pay and hiring.
Their research found the regional picture on salary increases was mixed.
Respondents expecting no change in their pay packets were in the majority, but the balance of people anticipating an increase over those expecting pay cuts was positive for every part of the world except Africa.
Africa and the Americas were the only two regions where any fall in salaries was expected, however, hopes for a big increase in wages in Europe were relatively low at 28% of those surveyed.
The survey report said many oil and gas operators had been relieved when a proposed cap on skilled migration into the UK was watered down, providing a “valuable loophole” for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firms in Aberdeen and London.
It added: “Though the issue of skills versus nationality has not as yet been fully put to bed, any immediate administrative hurdles (and costs) seem to have been averted.
“As the EPC market gathers speed, (pay) rates will increase, though these large one-off jobs will only require short-duration resources.”
It also said shale-gas developments were contributing to a pick-up in overall activity in the UK.
Today’s breakfast gathering was organised by Aberdeen-based international oil and gas skill body Opito, which will be announcing the findings of research conducted in partnership with the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB).
Firms spanning several industry sectors were asked about their skill needs during the projected upturn in UK oil and gas activity.
The minister said yesterday the results had already helped to inform a skills blueprint for the energy sector, identifying the potential for up to 95,000 job opportunities by 2020.
Other speakers include Opito managing director David Binnie, ECITB chief executive David Edwards, Douglas-Westwood managing director Andrew Reid and PSN chief executive Bob Keiller.
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