Study says North Sea oil and gas companies set to grow

Pan-industry research commissioned by OPITO and supplemented by a parallel study undertaken by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) found that 90 per cent of companies are anticipating a rise in international activity.

A further 67 per cent expect to see growth as a result of decommissioning and 63 per cent anticipate a rise activity in relation to wind power.

However, more than 50 per cent said attracting appropriately skilled staff was the number-one challenge to their ability to deliver their project opportunities.

Conducted by Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, the study found that demand for appropriately skilled or experienced staff continues to outstrip supply however with vacancies for engineers (graduate and chartered) and managers the hardest to fill.

More than 110 companies spanning the construction, drilling, engineering, geoscience, marine, science, inspection and operations sectors contributed. The majority are anticipating growth in the workforce in the next five years with 12 per cent expecting to take on more than 50 people in the next 12 months and five per cent looking to recruit more than 200 in the same period.