Houston Chronicle by Erin Douglas May 8, 2019
Doug Pferdehirt, chief executive of the energy services company TechnipFMC, was speaking at the opening session of the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, touting advances and innovations from shale drilling to liquefied natural gas exports, and urging the oil and gas industry to appeal to the next generation. Then, he looked at the crowd.
“If I’m honest with myself,†he said, “this is not the next generation.â€
Pferdehirt raised what has become an increasingly urgent problem for the aging oil and gas sector as baby boomers begin to retire in waves and companies find it difficult to convince young workers who want to save the planet that their industry has a future, both technologically and sustainably. The exploration and production side of the industry alone could face a shortage of as many as 40,000 engineers, geologists and other technical professionals by 2025, according to Accenture Strategy, a consulting firm.
Workers born between 1981 and 2000 will need to replace a majority of the jobs left open by retirements in the oil, natural gas and petrochemical industries, according to the American Petroleum Institute, a trade organization. But in a survey of science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates around the world, commissioned by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, only 44 percent said they would be interested in careers in oil and gas, compared to 77 percent interested in a career in technology and 58 percent in life sciences and pharmaceuticals.
Talk tech first, oil later
At OTC, recruiting young talent appeared a primary objective for many firms. Holograms that depicted offshore rig technology and interactive touch-screen diagrams dominated the trade floor — as did espresso machines and open-floor-plan-style booths.
Companies, such as the Houston oilfield services company Baker Hughes, pitched themselves as being at the cutting edge of technology while trumpeting workplace cultures that allow employees to work from home and promote diversity and inclusion — all factors that appeal to millennials, the generation born between 1981 and 1996. The stakes are high: If oil and gas companies don’t adapt, young talent will continue flow to tech giants such as Google.
“If you’re a graduate with a digital software background, you have the whole universe of opportunity ahead of you,†said Taylor Shinn, the vice president of ventures and growth at Baker Hughes. “We compete every day against all forms of tech companies†for talent.
More:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/Oil-and-gas-companies-shift-workplace-culture-13830711.php
