UK’s offshore workforce grows to almost 57,000

THE UK’s offshore workforce has continued to grow to almost 57,000 in 2012, a rise of nine per cent on the previous year, a new report has revealed.
The number of offshore workers grew nine percent between 2011 and 2012. Picture: PAThe number of offshore workers grew nine percent between 2011 and 2012. Picture: PA
The number of offshore workers grew nine percent between 2011 and 2012. Picture: PA

Meanwhile, the number of those who spend over 100 nights a year offshore grew to 25,760.

The figures are revealed in industry body Oil and Gas UK’s Offshore Demographics Report.

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It also shows that, of those who travelled offshore in 2012, the average age of 41.1 years has remained similar to previous years.

However, the number of people aged under 30 years grew by 14 per cent compared with 2011.

Over 80 per cent of the workforce was of British nationality, while four per cent were female.

Oil and Gas UK’s employment and skills issues manager, Dr Alix Thom, said: “The UK oil and gas industry is growing steadily with record investment in new developments forecast this year, mounting interest in exploring for new reserves and fields expected to produce into the 2040s.

“Hundreds of thousands of people are employed across the supply chain in the UK and the number travelling offshore for work is the highest since Oil and Gas UK produced the first Demographics Report in 2006.

“The volume of anticipated activity shows that the UK oil and gas sector is an exciting and promising place to build a career.

“For the industry, understanding the workforce profile is more important than ever if companies are to meet the growing and long-term demand for people with the right experience and skills.

“Oil and Gas UK is actively developing and helping to drive forward a number of programmes to sustain the supply of workers throughout the industry, such as improving the perception of the industry as a place to build a career, helping to encourage the uptake of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects in schools, and supporting the transition of skilled people in the mid-career phase from other sectors.”