Page 10 - Gi June/July 2019

management & education news

UK OIL & GAS INDUSTRY NEEDS 25,000 NEW

WORKERS WITHIN SIX YEARS, SAYS SKILLS REPORT

double supply chain opportunities in the
UK and internationally.
Paul de Leeuw, Director of RGU’s Oil
and Gas Institute said: “We have had
some very challenging years off the
back of the drop in oil price.
“We know that a lot of organisations
really cut back their headcount and we
need more people to do the work that’s
out there.
“We’re looking ahead to Vision 2035,
this is completely consistent with that,
and we think this is the right time to
have this conversation.
40,000 PEOPLE NEED TO BE BROUGHT INTO “We’re confident we can attract those
THE INDUSTRY IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS workers, provided Vision 2035
is achieved.”
A NEW REPORT says the UK oil and apprenticeships and recruiting a more The majority of those currently in
gas industry needs to attract 25,000 diverse workforce, reports Energy Voice. the sector are expected to remain in the
workers in the next six years, including It comes after several years of job next six years, emphasising the need for
thousands in brand new roles. cuts for the UK sector in wake of the upskilling staff.
Research from skills body Opito and oil price drop in 2014-15. Last May, Technology and data skills like
Robert Gordon University (RGU) states Opito said 40,000 people would need analytics and remote working are
4,500 workers will be needed by 2025 to be brought into the industry within expected to have the widest potential
in roles that don’t currently exist, like 20 years. Its latest report is focused on for upskilling across the industry.
automation and data science. shorter-term demand up to 2025. According to Oil and Gas UK, the total
The “skills landscape” also sets out The authors said the goals are number of people directly and indirectly
the steps needed from employers and consistent with Vision 2035, the employed by the industry, as well as
academia to achieve this, including industry’s shared goal to add a generation those supported by its spending, fell from
upskilling staff, technology-focused of production life to the North Sea and 463,900 in 2014, to 282,700 last year.

MORE THAN ONE IN 10 WORKERS TOO SCARED TO ASK FOR A PAY RISE

per cent said there were impediments the organisation needs to achieve,”
preventing them from asking for a raise. said Cotton.
These included not knowing what to If employees feel they cannot ask for a
say (16 per cent); not wanting to appear pay rise, it could lead to disengagement
greedy (15 per cent); and being worried at work, he added. “So it’s important
they would be turned down (12 per from organisations’ perspective both to
cent). Another 12 per cent reported they have these conversations so employees
were “scared of asking the boss” for a understand how pay decisions are
MEN ARE MORE CONFIDENT ABOUT ASKING FOR A RISE
pay increase. made, but also to manage expectations.
THE MAJORITY OF employees in Of the respondents, just 37 per cent “If someone comes asking for an
the UK are not confident enough to said nothing would stop them from unrealistic pay rise, you give some
ask their employer for a pay rise, asking for a pay rise. kind of explanation about how the
including more than one in 10 who Charles Cotton, CIPD Senior business makes its money and how it
are simply too scared to speak up, a Performance and Reward Adviser, then shares some success.”
new survey has found. said it made sense for employers to be A separate survey last week found
Experts said the results emphasised transparent about their pay processes, men were more confident in asking
the importance of transparency including how salaries and bonuses for a pay rise, and tended to receive a
around how pay and remuneration were set and what needed to happen for higher pay rise when they did. Out of
are set within organisations, reports an individual to receive a pay rise. 1,200 UK workers, two in three men
People Management. “That would be in terms of what (64 per cent) were comfortable asking
Out of 3,000 UK employees they need to do as employees either as for a pay rise, compared to just 43 per
surveyed by Reed Recruitment, 55 individuals or as teams, but also what cent of women.

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News.indd 5 16/05/2019 13:39