WIRELINE ISSUE 27 SPRING 2014

WORKINGWITHUNIVERSITIES

SKILLSANDR&D

SIZEAND SHAPEOF THE OFFSHOREWORKFORCE COLLECTINGTHE VITALSTATISTICS

A joint industry project is underway tomeasure the size and shape of the UKCS offshoreworkforce using a 3Dportable scanner. Working in collaboration, Oil &GasUK andRobertGordon University intend the data to be used to enhance safety, assisting in the designof future offshore equipment and facilities and informing emergency helicopter evacuation and survival suit design. Since 1985,when the last such survey of the offshoreworkforce was carriedout, theweight ofmale workers has risen by 19per cent. The current study involves collecting data from a sample size of 600 offshoreworkers over a range of weight categories. If youwould like tofind outmore about participating in this study, please contactRobert Ledingham on r.ledingham1@rgu.ac.uk. professors,most recentlyat theUniversity ofBristol aspartof thecompany’sResearch GrantProgramme. Setting the standard Global energy services company,Senergy, headquartered inAberdeen, also recognises thevalueof closeconnectionswith universities tomeet thegrowingdemand for skilledpersonnel. Incollaboration with theUniversityofAberdeen,Senergy launchedamasters (MSc)programme lastyear inPetrophysics andFormation Evaluation indirect response to the shortfall inpractitioners in thisdiscipline. Theprogramme isbelieved tobeaworld firstdedicated topetrophysics,which is akey integratingdisciplinewithin thegeosciences for the findingand developmentof hydrocarbon resources. Thecourse isdesignedas amodular programme toenable flexibility for thosewishing tocombine studieswith theirwork. “This is agreat exampleofpartnership in actionwhichdirectlyaddresses theneeds

Senergyhas launched amasters programmewith theUniversityofAberdeen indirect response to thegrowingdemand forpetrophysicists in theoil andgas industry

“At the heart of our involvement is the opportunity that we get to raise awareness of the benefits of a career in control and instrumentation engineering. We cannot stress how important this is becoming in today’s fiercely competitive world where there is a high percentage of engineering undergraduates choosing finance and accounting.”

ofdifferent scenarios andexperiments in the comingyears andABBalsouses the facility forclientdemonstrations and training, staffdevelopment, andproduct testingand softwareevaluation. Will adds: “The increasinglyglobal natureof theprojectsweareworkingon,particularly in theoil,gas andpetrochemical sectors, means that engineers arebeingcalledon to work inmanydifferent regionsworldwide. Ouraim is touse theplant tocreatea lastingassociationbetween the real-life problems that studentswill encounter once theyqualifyand the technologyand capabilities available.” Someof the studentshavealsocompleted workplacements atABB toget further experienceoncurrentprojects.More widely,ABBhasnurtured relationshipswith UKuniversities forover30yearsproviding investment inequipment for teaching and sponsorshipof researchprojects and

WillLeonard,ABBUKmarketingmanager. “Wecannot stresshow important this is becoming in today’s fiercelycompetitive worldwhere there is ahighpercentage of engineeringundergraduates choosing financeandaccounting.Thechallenge ahead is immense. Ifweare tocompeteon theworld stage,wemust address the skills gapurgently.” He continues: “Last year,we recruited25 graduates directly fromUKuniversities intoengineering roles, 20ofwhich areworking inoil andgas. It has also been soencouraging to seemanymore femalegraduates in the application and recruitment process.” DrDarylWilliams,directorof thePilot PlantProject at Imperial, agrees that the scheme “provides anopportunity to influence the trainingandeducationof thousandsof youngchemical engineers”. Thepilotplantwill beused to runhundreds

WI REL INE - I S SUE 2 7 S PR I NG 2 014

15