A new £8million national training centre is to be launched in Aberdeen in the latest effort to tackle the skills shortage in the oil and gas sector.
The Centre for Doctoral Training, led by Heriot-Watt University and funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, aims to create dozens of geoscience and environmental science experts over the next six years.
“The centre provides an important new opportunity for a once in a generation game change in academic training and research in oil and gas,” said Professor John Underhill from Heriot-Watt University’s Institute of Petroleum of Engineering.
Ninety students are being offered the chance to take part in a PhD and allied training academy programme, which aims to create a highly skilled workforce for the energy and environmental sectors in the UK and abroad.
The four main themes of the course are: environmental impact and regulation, the effective production of unconventional hydrocarbons, extending the life of mature basins and extraction of oil and gas resources in challenging environments.
The students will work alongside leading oil and gas businesses and environmental agencies to improve the skills base and support growth of the UK’s offshore resource in a safe and sustainable way.
“We look forward to having fruitful dialogue with industry that places the student experience at the heart and serves best interest for the UK as we face the energy and environmental challenges that are with us now and will grow in the future,” said Prof Underhill.
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