Britain’s oil and gas industry has celebrated the success of its technician training scheme during the past decade.
The number of modern apprentices joining the initiative has now soared through the 1,000 mark.
The milestone was noted yesterday in the Scottish Parliament by Labour economy and skills spokesman John Park, who commended the achievement by the industry which has invested £73million in the training scheme since its inception in 1999.
He said: “A highly skilled workforce is key to meeting the future production needs of the oil and gas industry in the UK and the investment that has been put into the upstream oil and gas industry technician training scheme is vital.
“I am delighted to recognise the achievements of these apprentices.
“The high number of apprentices who complete their training is testament to the quality of the scheme and should be congratulated.”
The scheme is regarded as one of the most successful and relevant in equipping the next generation of workers with the range of work-ready skills and experience employers need.
It is run and organised by industry body Oil and Gas UK, plus Offshore Contractors Association and skill bodies Opito – The Oil and Gas Academy and the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board.
About 100 trainee positions are available annually on the four-year programme which boasts one of the best retention rates in the country: 91% of apprentices complete the course and go on to find employment, compared with the national average of 55%.
The course is split into two, combining off-the-job training at one of several industry-appointed colleges in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fraserburgh and Middlesborough with worksite training with a sponsoring company.
Malcolm Webb, chief executive of OGUK, said: “There are still up to 25billion barrels of oil and gas to recover from the UK continental shelf, which will be needed to help secure the UK’s energy supply.
“To maximise production for decades to come, operational and technical challenges will need to be addressed by a capable work-force and the industry’s technician training scheme has so far proved itself as an excellent way to achieve this.”
Opito chief executive David Doig said: “The scheme is an excellent example of the industry’s commitment to maintaining the pipeline of skills long-term.
“The challenges of oil and gas will continue to change as the industry evolves but today’s landmark achievement is testament to the North Sea sector’s determination to remain a centre of excellence for global skills and competency.”
Opito says it is on the verge of a major restructuring that would see it expand its reach around the world.
The plans include the appointment of a managing director to lead the organisation, which was launched in December 2007 as a hub for promoting the UK as a centre of training excellence within the global energy industry.
Mr Doig said the overhaul was needed to meet worldwide demand for better standards in safety and competence.
He added: “As an industry-owned, not-for-profit organisation, our strategic aim will be to help organisations build a safe and competent global workforce that is trained to consistent standards across the world.”
Mr Doig said he would be taking a more strategic role within the organisation, with the yet-to-be-recruited managing director taking on responsibility for all aspects of academy business.
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