Interesting this…
Subsea UK calls for joined-up approach to addressing the skills issue
Industry body Subsea UK is calling for a radical overhaul of national training and competency bodies to create clearer career development pathways and ensure the UK retains a secure footing on the global engineering and manufacturing stage.
There are many organisations at both a national and regional level which deal with skills, training and associated certification. Each has its own access route and certification process, creating a lot of duplication and some incompatibility.
Subsea UK believes that this approach has, over time, led to career development becoming confused and complicated with patchy, at best, guidance for individuals on what route to take.
Chief executive Alistair Birnie says while the current downturn has reduced the pressure on the skills shortage, there is a real danger the industry will lose focus on key issues such as providing long term career development in its strategic business sectors to retain personnel.
"If the UK is to keep its place at the head of the global pack, greater alignment of skills and competency must start now so that it is much clearer to those both already in and new to the industry how to maximize their career opportunities," said Birnie.
"This issue is not just an oil & gas problem – it goes right across all engineering and manufacturing industries."
On the one hand you have SS7 apparently trying to dump UK oil & gas workers in favour of cheaper employees (sourced from overseas) and on the other hand you have Subsea UK saying there is a real danger the industry will lose focus on key issues such as providing long term career development in its strategic business sectors to retain personnel.
.
