ECITB Census reveals hiring challenges for offshore oil and gas employers

Findings of a workforce report published today have highlighted the challenges facing the offshore sector to ensure it has the skilled workers needed to meet future demand in the engineering construction industry (ECI).

The ECI plays a crucial role in the UK meeting its net zero ambitions, spanning sectors that focus on the construction, maintenance and decommissioning of heavy industry, including oil and gas, nuclear, power generation, renewables, chemicals, food and drink, pharmaceuticals and water treatment.

The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board’s (ECITB) Regional Workforce Census report offers a comprehensive overview of the ECI offshore workforce, having gathered data on more than 9,000 workers.

It highlights that the vast majority of engineering construction workers deployed offshore work in oil and gas (99%). Although several ECI employers are active in the offshore wind sector, most of the actual activity falls outside the ECITB’s definition of principal ECI activity*.

The Census reveals that 80% of employers operating activities in offshore waters are experiencing challenges hiring workers, compared to 71% in the wider industry.

It also states that with only 7.4% of the workforce below 30, the offshore ECI workforce is nearly 10 percentage points behind the entire ECI in this age bracket, while women make up only 3% of the workforce, compared to 17% in the wider industry.

These findings reinforce the career motivation study – Inspiring Directions – the ECITB published in February 2024, which revealed the offshore industry is struggling to appeal to the general population, and in particular young people and women, to help plug looming workforce and skills shortages.

ECITB Chief Executive Andrew Hockey said: “The Census is vital in helping industry understand labour market dynamics, anticipate workforce challenges and develop strategies to address skill gaps in the offshore sector.

“Only through bringing in new talent, training and upskilling existing workers can industry benefit from the skilled workforce it needs both for now and the future.

“The ECITB will continue to support employers to invest in their talent pipeline – helping industry to grow the number of apprenticeships and graduate opportunities, developing alternative entry pathways and funding quality training to upskill and reskill the workforce.”

Other key findings on the offshore workforce from the Census

·    The share of offshore workers in the ECI decreased from 12% to 9.9% between 2021 and 2024.

·    Most offshore workers are deployed in the Northern North Sea (42.7%) and the Central North Sea (31.5%).

·    Workers are primarily technicians (33.4%), craft workers (29.6%) or supervisors (16.7%).

·    Common occupations include scaffolders, riggers, blasters and painters, general and lifting supervisors, and mechanical, electrical and production technicians.

·    Rope access-qualified personnel are also prevalent across various disciplines in the offshore workforce.

Helping predict future trends

The ECITB conducts a census every three years, with in-scope employers providing information on workforce numbers by occupation, sector and location, as well as demographics data on age, gender, ethnicity and nationality.

Employers primarily involved in engineering construction are considered ‘in-scope’ of the ECITB’s remit, with those exceeding a certain size legally required to contribute to an industrial training levy.

In summer 2024, employers were asked to fill out an online survey which included questions on expected workforce growth, business opportunities by sector and hiring challenges.

Andrew added: “Thanks to a record response rate, up from 54% of the workforce covered in 2021 to 78.8%, the ECITB will now be able to provide more precise, up-to-date data to industry and make predictions on future workforce trends and labour demands in the offshore sector.

“The Census data will help inform training interventions and ensure accurate representation of industry in our discussions with governments and other partners.”

*According to the Industrial Training Act and the supporting legislation, in relation to the offshore wind sector, the ECITB’s scope is limited to activities carried out within GB Territorial Waters. Consequently, the vast majority of offshore ECI workers operate in the oil and gas sector.

Find out more about the ECITB Workforce Census at: www.ecitb.org.uk/research/census/