The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated challenges linked to a skills gap in the energy industry that began to emerge in 2020, according to a Global Energy Talent Index (GETI) Report.

The report said the sector appears better placed in 2021 to address these challenges, although continued investment in innovative technology and people will be needed to ensure that hopes for the medium-term can be realised.

A renewed focus on training and mentoring, particularly in STEM, is one of the ways oil and gas companies are addressing the skills gap.

The GETI report said that as the distinction between individual sectors in the energy industry becomes more blurred, demand for common experience and skills increases.

“There is a place for a cross-sector approach to securing talent,” the report said. “That approach starts at education and encourages greater STEM take-up to the benefit of the entire sector.”

Global recruitment and custom workforce services company Brunel, in its 2021 Energy Outlook report, said insufficient education and training is the biggest driver of the worsening skills shortage.

“Rapid innovation within the energy industry means employers need to not only attract the best specialists but also offer to develop their talent further in order to retain and compete against their peers in the industry,” the report said. “One important solution is to guarantee high-quality training, strong career development programs, and dedicated benefits to help enhance careers and bridge the gap.”

The skills gap is further exacerbated by the shift toward new ways of working, including the emergence of digital technology.

In 2020, the WA State Government launched a campaign to enable students to be ready for future jobs with STEM skills.

The Take 2 STEM campaign, launched at the South Metropolitan TAFE, aims to promote to students and parents the importance of building skills in STEM.

WA Chief Scientist Professor Peter Klinken said that the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the willingness of talented, innovative and skilled Western Australians to step up to help flatten the curve.

“We must ensure we continue to nurture these abilities in our young people,” he said. “STEM subjects provide the best framework to develop the range of skills our children need for the jobs of the future.”

Science Minister Dave Kelly said strong STEM skills are essential to a globally competitive and innovative workforce.

“As we have learnt through the COVID-19 pandemic, skills such as problem-solving, creative thinking and innovation are vital in responding to modern challenges, and STEM subjects build these abilities,” he said. “We need to prepare our young people for the jobs of the future, reskill our current workforce and engage all Western Australians in STEM education, careers and culture.”

The World Economic Forum Future of Jobs 2020 Report highlighted the COVID-led acceleration of the transition to the future of work.

“The COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns and related global recession of 2020 have created a highly uncertain outlook for the labour market and accelerated the arrival of the future of work,” it said. “The top skills and skill groups which employers see as rising in prominence in the lead up to 2025 include groups such as critical thinking and analysis as well as problem-solving.”

The report said that costs to upskill the workforce would be recovered relatively quickly.

“An average of 66 per cent of employers surveyed expect to get a return on investment in upskilling and reskilling within one year,” it said.

Professor Klinken, who is also on the WA STEM Advisory Panel, said: “Technological and scientific advances are rapidly changing our world and offer enormous benefits to Western Australia. We must seize this opportunity to grow our capability and prepare for the future.

“STEM skills are more important than ever, with the industry increasingly looking for workers who are problem solvers, innovators and critical thinkers, and able to use and create technologies.”

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