IT IS often said the oil and gas industry is suffering from an ageing workforce, resulting in a skills shortage.
As a stalwart of the industry, Robert Bell, recently appointed technical director for engineering consultancy Atkins in Aberdeen, believes veterans have a moral duty to pass on their experience to the next generation, thus sustaining the industry.
Robert previously worked with AMEC, Foster Wheeler Energy Limited and PSN, where he was chief structural engineer for nine years.
“Atkins has a great reputation for quality work and is looking at increasing its design and projects capabilities,” said Robert who is originally from Kilsyth.
“This is an area I have worked in since graduating in 1976 from Strathclyde University so we are a very good match.
“I share a lot of Atkins’ values, for example mentoring and technical excellence which I am particularly passionate about.”
Robert is no stranger to driving forward learning and development, and was voted Mentor of the Year in 2009 at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) awards as a result of his can-do and hands-on approach.
In the past he and senior colleagues delivered free evening classes at his workplace, allowing graduates to soak up his breadth of industry experience.
He has also co-written four modules for Aberdeen University’s MSc Oil and Gas Structural Engineering – a unique partnership between the university, Atkins and Wood Group PSN which is going from strength to strength since being set up in 2008.
However, he believes it is a combination of on and off the job training that really allows graduates to see the bigger picture.
Keen to ensure his knowledge is passed on to up and coming engineers — the backbone of the industry’s future growth, he has taken on a four-day working week at Atkins.
“It’s an aspiration of mine to spend the fifth day of the working week on training and mentoring, for the benefit of the next generation,” said Robert, 61.
“I am in a mature reflective phase of my career and I often think about new and improved ways to reach out to those starting out in the industry.
“There has long been a bias towards hiring experienced workers in oil and gas because the very nature of the industry is short term-focused and dependent upon delivery, making it difficult for young, often talented, people to progress beyond the classroom.
“Oil and gas is still in a strong position, and will continue to be for several more decades, so we need to prioritise accordingly as we lose more and more mature, highly-skilled professionals.
“Most senior people in the industry do want to see a shift in behaviour but we need to act now rather than later.
“Working for an organisation like Atkins, with a similar mind-set to myself, equips me to continue to follow this goal.”
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