Sacked soldiers to work in oil and gas industry

SACKED squaddies are to be retrained to work in the oil and gas industry, as the government lays out its blueprint for filling the skills shortage in the sector.

Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable and Energy Secretary Ed Davey will use a visit to Aberdeen today unveil a scheme to offer training to work in the oil and gas sector.

Already 2,500 former military personnel have transferred into the industry in the last two years as part of a wider oil and gas strategy which will also see an attempt to win business from markets in Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Australia by reinvesting in the supply chain.

The industry will also be given guarantees over tax breaks for decommissioning oil platforms, which was promised last year and confirmed in this month’s Budget and could see them clawing back as much as 80 per cent of their costs on some oil and gas fields.

The training of former military personnel and others to fill skills gaps in the industry will take place at Newcastle University which has been handed £7 million to set up courses.

Mr Cable said: “This is an expanding industry.”