Tackling issues related to an ageing workforce is a matter of utmost importance in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Deloitte.

In a report, The future of work in oil, gas and chemicals: Opportunity in the time of change, Deloitte said the industry must find ways to engage and retain a tenured workforce, with nearly 50 per cent of the industry’s tenured workers set to retire in the next five to seven years.

Global recruitment and custom workforce services company Brunel found that more than half of recruiters surveyed in its 2021 Energy Outlook felt that one of the biggest challenges they face is an ageing workforce and lack of skills staff.

The Brunel report said that a loss of expertise due to retirements was a major reason for a looming skills gap in the energy industry.

“In an ageing industry, the oil and gas sector is starting to see talent gaps,” the report said. “Many experienced specialists are either looking to retire or developing their skills towards greener energies.”

The Deloitte report speculated that a potential remedy for the looming ‘brain drain’ from retiring employees would be to build a stronger perennial-millennial pairing to leverage the knowledge of the ‘over-55s’.

In 2021 the Petroleum Club of WA is celebrating 30 years of working to combat the challenges of an ageing workforce by connecting the ‘Next Generation’ to careers in the oil and gas industry with its Next Generation School Program.

The program is targeted at students in years 8-10 and aims to educate students about the oil and gas industry and the important role energy plays in society.

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program managed to reach more than 600 students from 15 schools in 2020 and has expanded the program further regionally with Dongara DHS, Jurien Bay DHS, Carnamah DHS and Busselton SHS.

Next Generation program coordinator Michelle Sibley praised the success of the program over 2020.

“It’s been a busy year for our schools and mentors, with four mentor visits completed in the last half of the year, plus the Student Expo Day held in November,” Michelle said.

“During the mentor visits, students learnt about the impact the oil and gas industry has on society as well as how the industry is moving toward the future of energy.”

“Congratulations to our top-scoring students who won some brilliant prizes from our program sponsors.

The 2020 program winners included; Morley SHS who won the first prize, Helicopter Underwater Escape Training session sponsored by ERGT. We then had Willetton SHS who won the second prize, a Day Sail on the Leeuwin sponsored by Elect, and Duncraig SHS who won the third prize Rope Access Training session sponsored by Vertech Group.

This program relies on the participation of industry mentors and organisation sponsorship to ensure we can continue to inspire the "next generation", and we would just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported us throughout this year's program and our major sponsors:

Australian Gas Industry Trust (AGIT), Santos, INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG joint venture, ECU School of Engineering (Joondalup Campus), APPEA and Brighter Program, Mitsui E&P, Triangle Energy, Beach Energy, ERGT, Elect Training and Consulting, Vertech Group, and TechnipFMC.

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