Serious Skills
Shortage set to affect the Industry
15 January 2007
Industrial
growth is warmly welcomed world-wide. It ensures the future
of countries, market sectors, companies and
employees. Unfortunately however, it brings
its own set of problems. Problems that the marine construction
and offshore engineering sector is now being forced to face.
A serious skills shortage is hitting the market.
"The industry is extremely busy and expected to
remain so for a number of years," explains Hugh Williams,
Chief Executive of the International Marine Contractors Association
(IMCA). "Many companies are experiencing significant challenges
in recruiting sufficient trained and skilled personnel for their
projects all over the world. This is placing significant pressure
on their desired growth and ability to deliver services."
IMCA, as the international trade association representing over
350 offshore, marine and underwater engineering companies, in
well over 40 countries, is eager to help its members address
this skills shortage.
"One route is to draw wider attention to the projected
numbers of trained personnel required by the expanding marine
contracting industry over the next 2-3 years," says Hugh
Williams.
"IMCA members have provided some practical estimates of
the possible growth of their businesses. For example, orders
for new build construction vessels, drilling rigs, saturation
diving spreads and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). From these
estimates we can extrapolate some of the marine contracting
industry's recruitment needs over the next 2-3 years. The sorts
of figures thrown up by the industry make interesting and compelling
reading:
• The industry will commission
at least 50 new offshore construction vessels in the next 2-3
years covering IMCA members' activities including lifting, pipelay,
diving, survey and ROV operations. About
10 of these will be dive support vessels (DSVs)
• The drilling industry will
commission about 40 more floating drilling rigs
(semi-submersible of ship shape) in the next
three years
• Around a hundred new ROVs
will be built, most of them work class
• About 10 new portable or
modular saturation diving systems will come onto the market
• The new vessels and drill
rigs will require some 2000 additional watch-keepers across
the bridge, deck and engine room
• The increases in saturation
diving will require some 800 additional personnel in saturation
diving and related positions
• They will require around
1000 additional survey and inspection discipline personnel
• The ROV spreads will require
some 1200 additional personnel to operate them
These numbers do not include the large numbers of additional
air diving personnel and the many other deck, catering and ancillary
crew, or onshore and engineering support personnel required
to operate the vessels.
"These figures, just looking ahead a couple of years, pose
a serious challenge to an industry already finding it difficult
to recruit, train and retain skilled personnel," says Hugh
Williams, "for example the worldwide diving schools can
perhaps train about 100 new saturation divers a year. That there
is a 'skills shortage' is widely acknowledged. By providing
firm, verifiable estimates of anticipated growth, we are highlighting
the seriousness and complexity of the challenge faced, not only
by IMCA members worldwide, but also by all stakeholders in the
offshore oil industry. Indeed, the future health and growth
of a number of industries, not just the oil and gas industry,
may be directly affected by a shortage of trained personnel
in the coming years."
IMCA encourages raising the profile of the offshore industry
in the employment market, including a focus on cross-training
personnel from other industries who may already have many of
the skills necessary for offshore work. The Association believes
that it is important to establish relationships with schools,
colleges and universities to promote science and engineering
as interesting courses leading to challenging and worthwhile
careers.
IMCA is a respected voice around the world, promoting good practice,
particularly in the areas of quality and efficiency, as well
as health, safety, environmental and technical standards. IMCA
members are involved in many aspects of offshore marine contracting,
including pipe-laying, heavy lifting, diving, ROV operations
and offshore surveying - largely carried out from dynamically
positioned (DP) vessels, as well as other marine operations,
offshore supply and support of many other kinds.
