Rise In Female Oil And Gas Employment

In line with the international jobs board’s attendance at the Women’s Global Leadership Conference in Energy & Technology (Hyatt Regency Houston, Houston, Texas, October 29-30, 2013) the latest statistics from OilCareers.com suggest that registered female candidates have risen by almost ten per cent globally in the past year as the skills gap widens and salaries soar.

The Global Oil & Gas Workforce Survey: Expectations for hires and pay rates in the oil and gas industry (H2) 2013 shows that salaries are predicted to rise by over 60% this year in comparison with an expected rise of less than 20% in 2010. Further to this, hiring trends are also predicted to increase by more than 40% suggesting that there has never been a better time to enter the oil and gas industry. 

This appears to have signalled an increased move by women towards the sector with OilCareers.com seeing a rise in the number of female candidates seeking administration, commercial/financial/legal, engineering, HR/personnel/training, management, sales and marketing roles. 

OilCareers.com managing director Mark Guest said: “All regions within the global energy sector are facing the same competition to attract the best talent which is why we see a continued increase in predicted salaries across the board. 

“In line with this need for expertise, it is fantastic to see a rise in registered female candidates on OilCareers.com, bringing vital skills into the industry at a time where they have never been more in demand. Another positive trend is that the biggest number of registered female candidates falls in the age group of 23-32 years old, showing that young women are choosing to seek employment in the oil and gas sector. This is particularly important to allow existing skilled workers to pass on crucial knowledge that may otherwise be lost.

“While these are all positive developments for the sector, there is still a lot of work to be done, with just over 20% of women registering for traditionally male dominated roles including diving, drilling and engineering. 

“This highlights the need for employers and industry bodies to continue to showcase the immense level of opportunity within the sector to the female population. Most importantly, this must be done as early as possible in an individuals development, with added emphasis being placed on stem subjects such as science and maths for school pupils to ensure a constant flow of talent to the oil and gas sector.”

The trend has not been mimicked everywhere, with some areas including the African region, where infrastructure is reported to be more volatile, seeing a 48% decrease in registered candidates with a resultant predicted uplift of over 65% in salaries to help attract talent to the region.

The Global Oil & Gas Workforce Survey: Expectations for hires and pay rates in the oil and gas industry (H2) 2013 covers all seven major oil and gas producing regions – Europe, Middle East, the Former Soviet Union-Caspian (FSU), Africa, Asia-Pacific, Australasia and the Americas - highlighting both salary and hiring trends across the industry. 

To download the survey please visit http://www.oilcareers.com/onstream/workforce-survey/.