Fresh blood plea for oil industry

Industry leaders have heard calls for more oil rig workers

The North Sea oil and gas industry has been urged to attract fresh blood to replace an ageing workforce.

Thousands of delegates at the Offshore Europe conference in Aberdeen this week will be told that more younger people are needed to power Scotland's economy.

The city's chamber of commerce has published a new report highlighting a skills shortage.

But the UK Offshore Operators' Association said training programmes were helping to bolster the workforce.

Many oil workers are retiring as the industry enters its fourth decade and there are calls to attract more youngsters.

I think the government has a role to play in encouraging school leavers to look at the industry for a career Geoff Runcie Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce

Hazelhead Academy in Aberdeen is in partnership with an oil firm to encourage pupils to consider a career in the industry.

Geoff Runcie, chief executive of the city's chamber of commerce, said high oil prices had placed "immediate and severe pressure" on the workforce which needed to be addressed.

"I think the government has a role to play in encouraging school leavers to look at the industry for a career," he added.

However, UKOOA said the chamber of commerce's figures were out of date and added that the situation was far from bleak.

Training scheme

Spokesman Steve Harris said many training programmes were already boosting the workforce.

"We have a technician training scheme which currently has 500 technicians - which delivers at the rate of about 100 a year to the industry," he said.

"A lot has happened within the industry and the chamber of commerce is looking at figures that date from a different period when there were a lot of pressures on us.

"There is a great deal going on, we've had some successes and of course that offers challenges.

"We believe we have initiatives in place to meet them."