Petroleum Africa
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Thursday, May 10, 2007
The worldwide expansion of the oil and gas services market in recent years has resulted in a growing need for skilled workers. In a 2006 study by consultancy firm Deloitte, it was found that 83% of companies involved in oil and gas production have increased total employment, and it was anticipated that this trend would continue in 2007.
Much though, has been made of the need to plug a so-called ‘skills gap’ in experienced and available personnel. There is certainly a discernable gap between an ageing workforce and a generation of enthusiastic but inexperienced workers, as Neil Macklin, Director of Offshore Marine Services (OMS), the international oil and gas marine and drilling support service contractor explains:
“The oil and gas industry is in a very healthy position at the moment, and in line with this, there is an increased need for personnel. This will continue throughout 2007 and 2008, due to the large number of new build rigs and vessels coming into service. Each of these new builds will require significant numbers in terms of crews, support and maintenance personnel, and there is a gap in the recruitment market which does not meet this demand.
“Problems at one end of the scale are clear, with an estimated quarter of workers due to reach retirement age in the next five to ten years. At the other end of the spectrum, there is an apparent shortage of workers with the necessary skills and experience. While it is true that the industry has been successful in recruiting a number of keen young individuals, through a combination of excellent rates of pay and various recruitment initiatives, these tend to be at entry level positions.”
Since 1995, Offshore Marine Services has been plugging the skills gap by investing faith and money in Maltese personnel from their OMS Malta base in Mosta. The group, who has premises worldwide including Aberdeen; Perth, Australia; New Plymouth, New Zealand and Singapore, expects to be providing and maintaining a Maltese workforce of 300 by the end of 2007.
OMS Malta currently has crews working in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Australasia for clients including Transocean, GSF, Atwood Oceanics, Imtech, Malta Drydocks, Diamond Drilling, Ensco and Songa.
“The foresight shown by OMS in establishing its Malta premises and investing in a Maltese workforce almost 12 years ago is now paying off; with the company is a stronger position than many competitors,” says Neil. “OMS Malta currently employs 200 personnel, 65 of whom were trained last year. This year the company is on target to train a further 100.
“In choosing a base of operations, Malta was a logical option. Firstly the country has a history in the oil and gas industry. Drilling contractors have been recruiting from Malta since the 1970s, therefore it has a large pool of experienced personnel. Secondly, English is one of the country’s two official languages and consequently the Maltese workforce generally has strong English skills.
“It is not just the Maltese people, and the skills they offer that have attracted OMS to the area. The islands have an excellent geographical location meaning personnel can be flown all over Europe and North Africa, using the national carrier, Air Malta. This allows us to service clients’ needs quickly, in many locations. OMS operate an in house travel company who manage the logistics of all travel arrangements for personnel. From the organisation of visas through to getting from one side of the world to the other, the company puts every detail into place, and this is obviously hugely advantageous not only to the person involved but also to the client.”
Political developments since OMS Malta was established have also been of benefit to the company. Malta’s inception as a full member state of the European Economic Community in 2004 increased the freedom of movement for its workers and this brings with it obvious advantages.
Neil continues: “The OMS Malta workforce has been successfully developed and trained in conjunction with our clients’ specific requirements, including minimum standards expected by some of the world’s largest oil companies, in areas such as manual handling, safety observation and risk assessment.
“Whilst the oil and gas industry continues to experience an extremely positive climate, it is important to continue the development of the Maltese market. This provides a vital recruitment option for clients and is crucial in tackling a skills gap which shows no immediate signs of being resolved.”
The Offshore Marine Services group offers a global solution to the industry’s manning and marine requirements. Core activities are the worldwide recruitment and supply of experienced personnel to the offshore drilling and marine industries, this includes offshore support vessel crewing, manning and management. The company also owns and operates its own fleet of offshore supply and FPSO off-take vessels.
OMS Group companies are strategically positioned worldwide and currently operate out of Aberdeen, Malta, Singapore, New Zealand and Perth, Australia.
For further information please contact:
Kelly Cromar
Account Manager
Tricker PR
Aberdeen
Tel: 01224 646491
Direct: 01224 654085
Mobile: 07795 522 010
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