Oil and gas firm OMV says it is looking to hire another 1600 new staff within the next three years as it looks to expand its exploration work.
The Austrian company, which owns a 20% stake in the giant Rosebank project west of Shetland, is aiming to recruit around 1,600 techinical staff by 2016.
The company, which already employs more than 29,000 is focusing on university students as part of the drive. Much of the recruitment will be in Austria, but the company is also looking at hiring staff from overseas as it continues to expand internationally.
“OMV’s focus has been on the Exploration & Production segment since 2011,” said chief executive Gerhard Roiss.
“We will need 1,600 new employees to achieve the growth we have planned. We are looking for motivated individuals with a technical background and an interest in working in some of the most exciting places in the world.”
The drive for staff, coming during a major skills shortfall across the oil and gas industry, will take place both in the company’s domestic home in Austria and among international markets.
OMV, which is looking to spend more than EU2billion in the next few years in oil and gas production, said earlier this year it was aiming to spend £1billion over the next four years developing the Shiehallion and Rosebank projects, along with continuing to develop the Jackdaw, Cambo and Tornado fields.