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RECRUITMENT, RECRUITMENT, RECRUITMENT
Hugh Williams, Chief Executive, International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), discusses the need for people within the offshore industry
“We value our involvement with Oceanology International. We have a stand, are holding our Europe & Africa Section meeting here and an ‘open to all’ seminar on Wednesday afternoon entitled ‘The Diverse Role of the ROV Simulator’, but it is our involvement with the show’s Careers Day that is the focus of my thoughts on recruitment. The offshore industry is ‘people hungry’!
“IMCA has long been an integral part of Careers Day, and enjoyed meeting graduates and under-graduates eager to make inroads in the offshore industry. But it is not just ‘newbies’ that our member companies (some 850 of them in over 60 countries around the globe) are eager to attract, but those higher up the tree and experience range. What’s more, there is a place for so many skills – scientists, engineers (civil, electrical, electronic, mechanical, hydraulic, marine, structural and many more), mathematicians, IT specialist, lawyers, accountants, HR people ….. the offshore sectors need them all! Spread the word – there is something for everyone! “Our member companies are primarily involved in offshore, marine and underwater engineering, serving the oil and gas sectors, telecoms and marine renewable energy sectors. The industry is busy. A large new-build programme of offshore construction vessels has taken place with more to come – and those new vessels need new people. The new vessels have significantly updated control systems requiring new skills to design, operate and maintain them – and IMCA guidance is there to help them, with the IMCA competence scheme an ever-important aid to companies, and individuals. “IMCA’s materials help, but the industry needs to make a concerted effort to deliver the next generation of offshore personnel, from all sectors and be facilitated from all sides. Geographic (linguistic and visa) challenges need to be broken down. Cross- skilling needs to allow those with the right skills to go forward and train. Don’t be confused by the tag ‘offshore personnel’. Probably 50
percent of the ‘offshore’ personnel work in onshore offices and facilities supporting the delivery of offshore projects. “Sources such as those from the armed forces successfully joining our industry need to be augmented by others from parallel industries. Cut-backs mean we can expect even more excellent people from the armed forces; and our track record with them could certainly translate to members benefiting from those affected by the downturn in the construction and building sectors. The fundamentals are the same - clients commission projects, consultants design them and work across the industry, and contractors build, tow, install, hook-up, commission, operate and maintain them; and skills required are comparable. Other sources are engineering industries like the manufacturing sector which also relies on parallel skills. “To attract them to our industry, with its diverse sectors, means we must provide a picture of a healthy, exciting industry to join. Training needs to be structured but not restricted, making full use of simulators where real life operations can be experienced by students without waiting ages for such an event to happen offshore. IMCA’s guidance on this was recently updated and is still evolving. We need to whet the appetites of new entrants - getting over the message that there are no tedious treadmills or monotonous production lines in our sectors. Instead newcomers of all backgrounds will be joining an exciting, fast-paced, forward-looking industry where the challenges - and the rewards - are beyond the ordinary. “On the IMCA website we look at global careers in marine contracting with sections devoted to the facts, ‘in depth’ articles, and most importantly ‘next steps’ with information not only for those graduating or looking for trade openings, but with sections devoted to setting out specific opportunities open to members of the armed forces, merchant navy, naval architecture, construction, automotive and aerospace industries ….. yes, we want you all!”
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