The oil industry has seen dramatic growth in recent years both in nations just developing their oil reserves and in more developed countries like the U.S., which have begun to tap into unconventional oil and gas reserves.
Despite this positive trend, a new survey from OilCareers.com suggests that this recent rise has placed some strain on the industry’s labor pool as many areas lack sufficent trained workers.
Many regions of the globe have imposed rules requiring that oil companies make every effort to hire local workers before bringing in people from out of state or country, an attempt to allow areas with hydrocarbon deposits to benefit more directly from their natural resources.
But many of these places lack large enough training programs to supply the huge demand for higher-skill positions such as petroleum engineers.
“Internationally, operators are embarking on a large number of major investments, benefiting greatly from technological advancements,” Mark Guest, managing director at OilCareers.com, said in a statement. “Yet major challenges remain with access to skilled labor a pivotal concern, combined with a global shortage of those with the necessary experience to help companies fully realize the potential of these opportunities.
