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UK CONTINENTAL SHELF
OFFSHORE WORKFORCE
DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 3
Contents
1.	 Foreword				 4
2.	 Executive Summary	 	 	 5
3.	 Introduction	 	 	 6
4.	 Total Workforce	 	 	 7
5.	 Core Workforce	 	 	 14
	 5.1	 Comparative Trends of the Core Workforce	 17
6.	 Residential Locations and Nationalities of the Workforce	 20
	 6.1	 Residential Locations	 	 	 20
	 6.2	 Workforce Nationalities	 	 	 21
7.	 Female Workforce	 	 	 23
8.	 Age Analysis	 	 	 25
9.	 Skills Activity Update	 	 	 30
 
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 4
1.	Foreword
The UK oil and gas industry has been active since the mid-1960s and has grown, now requiring around 26,000
workers who regularly travel offshore, alongside the hundreds of thousands who work onshore.
To ensure a continued, sufficient supply of skilled people to service UK oil and gas production, it is important
that the industry understands the workforce profile and how it changes over time.
Oil & Gas UK’s most recent forecasts highlight record investment in new developments, growing interest
in exploring for new reserves and fields that are expected to produce into the 2040s1
. Developing an
understanding of the workforce profile is therefore more important than ever in meeting the growing and
long-term demand for a skilled workforce.
This is Oil & Gas UK’s seventh annual UK Continental Shelf Offshore Workforce Demographics Report and is
designed to help companies understand current trends and to plan ahead. It considers how the composition
of the offshore workforce has changed from 2006 to 2012, with particular attention paid to age, gender and
residential location.
Oil & Gas UK is actively developing and helping to drive forward a number of industry programmes to sustain
the supply of workers throughout the sector. These initiatives include, but are not limited to, improving the
perception of the industry as a place to build a career, helping to encourage the uptake of Science, Technology,
Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects in schools, and supporting the transition of skilled people in the
mid-career phase from other sectors.
We hope you enjoy reading the report. Any queries should be directed to Oil & Gas UK’s employment and
skills issues manager, Dr Alix Thom, on athom@oilandgasuk.co.uk
Alix Thom
Employment and Skills Issues Manager
1
Oil & Gas UK’s Activity Survey 2013 is available to download at: http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/forecasts.cfm
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 5
2.	 Executive Summary
The data used in this report came from the Vantage Personnel On Board (POB) system and have been analysed
to identify trends in the UK oil and gas industry offshore workforce.
The following summarises the key findings for 2012:
•	 A total of 56,982 people travelled offshore in 2012, which is the highest number since 2006 when data were
first analysed and nearly a nine per cent increase from 2011 when 52,300 employees travelled offshore.
•	 The core workforce (those working over 100 nights per year offshore) remained at approximately
45 per cent of the total workforce, reflecting the continuing stability of these roles. At 25,760, the number
of core workers is at its highest since 2006 and represents an increase of 8.4 per cent from 2011 when
there were 23,758 core workers.
•	 Three and a half times more non-operator personnel than operator personnel travelled offshore in 2012.
The total number of personnel travelling offshore increased by five per cent and ten per cent from 2011  
to 2012 for operators and non-operators, respectively.
•	 Over eighty per cent of the total number of workers travelling offshore are of British nationality.
•	 Female employees represented 3.75 per cent (2,138) of the total offshore population in 2012, of which 753
are core workers. This is an increase of only 0.05 per cent from 2011.
•	 The average age of the offshore workforce was 41.1 years. This is similar to the average age recorded over
the last seven years; the lowest during that time was 40.4 years in 2009.
•	 2012 saw an increase in employees travelling offshore in all age brackets. There was a 13.7 per cent rise in
the number of workers under the age of 30.
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 6
3.	 Introduction
This report presents up-to-date analysis of demographics data for the offshore workforce from 2006 to
2012. The data are extracted from the Vantage Personnel On Board (POB) system, which is used to track the
movements of personnel to and from offshore installations. The data are collected in two groups – the total
numbers travelling offshore and the core workforce (those working over 100 nights per year offshore).
The report will consider the differences that arise between the core and total workforce and between
operatorandnon-operatorworkers,aswellasanalysingtheworkers’UKresidentiallocations,thenationalities
represented by the workforce, the female demographic and the age profile of the workforce and how this
has changed.
 
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 7
4.	 Total	Workforce
At	56,982,	2012	saw	the	highest	total	number	of	workers	travelling	off	shore	on	the	UK	Conti	nental	Shelf	
(UKCS)	since	2006,	when	data	were	fi	rst	analysed.	This	is	an	increase	of	nearly	nine	per	cent	from	2011	when	
52,300	employees	travelled	off	shore,	which	is	the	most	signifi	cant	year-on-year	increase,	and	nearly	a	14	per	
cent	increase	from	2006.	
Figure 1: Total Number of Personnel who Travelled Offshore from 2006 to 2012
 
46,000
48,000
50,000
52,000
54,000
56,000
58,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
NumberofPersonnel
Years
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 8
Figure	2	below	illustrates	the	spread	of	the	total	workforce	between	those	working	for	operators	and	those	
working	for	non-operators	(companies	which	are	not	producti	on	operators).	In	2006,	there	were	fi	ve	and	a	
half	ti	mes	more	employees	for	non-operators	than	operators.	However,	this	has	fl	uctuated	between	three	to	
three	and	a	half	ti	mes	more	from	2007	to	2012.	
Figure 2: Total Personnel Travelling Offshore for Operators and Non-Operators from 2006 to 2012
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
NumberofPersonnel
Years
Operator Non-Operator Total
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 9
Of	 the	 total	 off	shore	 workforce	 in	 2012,	 17.7	 per	 cent	 (10,086)	 travelled	 off	shore	 for	 ten	 nights	 or	 less	
(see	fi	gure	3	below).	The	non-core	workforce	(who	works	less	than	100	nights	per	year	off	shore)	will	have	
predominantly	onshore	jobs	with	the	requirement	to	travel	off	shore	occasionally.	It	must	also	be	noted	that	
there	may	be	a	number	of	new	starts	to	the	core	workforce	(who	work	100-plus	nights	per	year)	who	have	
not	yet	spent	over	100	nights	off	shore.
Figure 3: The Number of Nights Spent Offshore by the Non-Core Workforce in 2012
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
0 - 10 11 - 20 21 - 30 31 - 40 41 - 50 51 - 60 61 - 70 71 - 80 81 - 90 91 - 100
NumberofPersonnel
Number of Nights
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 10
Last year’s report plotted for the first time the total number of workers travelling offshore against the oil
price, which showed a correlation between the number of personnel and oil price with a time lag of one year.
The same correlation can be seen in Figure 4 below for 2012. If this trend is to continue, we would expect
to see a plateau in the number of personnel in 2013. However, increasing levels of investment and activity
on the UKCS2
mean the industry may in fact see a further increase in the number of personnel as new or
rescheduled projects start. Next year’s figures should therefore give an indication as to the veracity of the
correlation seen so far.
Figure 4: The Total Number of Personnel Travelling Offshore between 2006 and 2012,
Plotted Alongside the Average Oil Price ($)
 
2
Oil & Gas UK’s Activity Survey 2013 is available to download at: http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/forecasts.cfm
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
40,000
42,000
44,000
46,000
48,000
50,000
52,000
54,000
56,000
58,000
60,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
AverageOilPriceper$perBarrel
NumberofPersonnel
Years
Total Number of Personnel
Oil Price / $
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 11
49%
20%
10%
6%
4%
3% 2% 2% 1% 3%
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10+
Figures	5	and	6	below	illustrate	that	nearly	half	the	number	of	personnel	travelled	off	shore	to	a	single	locati	on	
with	the	majority	working	for	a	single	operator.
Figure 5: The Number of Locations Visited Offshore by the Total Workforce in 2012
Figure 6: The Number of Operators Worked for by the Total Workforce in 2012
0%
65%
18%
8%
4%
2% 3%
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 12
The	largest	proporti	on	of	the	total	off	shore	workforce	travelled	to	the	central	North	Sea	in	2012,	which	is	the	
most	developed	basin	on	the	UKCS.	The	second	largest	populati	on	travelled	to	multi	ple	sectors.	
Figure 7: Geographic Distribution of the Total Workforce on the UK Continental Shelf
No. of Males &
Females
No. of Males No.	of	Females
No. of Males &
Females
No. of Males No.	of	Females
No. of Males &
Females
No. of Males No.	of	Females
No. of Males &
Females
No. of Males No.	of	Females
No. of Males &
Females
No. of Males No.	of	Females
No. of Males &
Females
No. of Males No.	of	Females
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 13
The west of Shetland has seen the largest increase of 117 per cent in terms of the total number of workers
travelling to the sector from 2006 to 2012. There has been a 116.5 and a 133.3 per cent increase in the
number of males and females travelling to the sector, respectively. The northern North Sea has seen the
second largest increase from 2006 to 2012; in particular, there has been a large increase of 53.6 per cent in
the number of female employees travelling to this sector.
Figure 8: Difference in the Geographic Distribution of the Total Workforce between 2006 and 2012
3
Earliest Morecambe Bay figures recorded are from 2009 and not 2006
No. of
Males
No. of
Females
No. of
Males
No. of
Females
No. of
Males
No. of
Females
Central North Sea 21,805 903 23,818 1,071 9.2 18.6
Northern North Sea 6,255 181 7,673 278 22.7 53.6
Southern North Sea 5,522 208 5,733 189 3.8 -9.1
Morecambe Bay3
814 30 783 39 -3.8 30
West of Shetland 1,146 63 2,481 147 116.5 133.3
Multiple Sectors 12,959 385 14,356 414 10.8 7.5
Sectors 2006 2012 % Difference, 2006 to 2012
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 14
5.	 Core Workforce
The core workforce is defined as those workers who work offshore for more than 100 nights per year.
This captures either the common offshore work patterns of equal time (two weeks on, two weeks off/three
weeks on, three weeks off) or two weeks on, three weeks off.
In 2012, the core workforce was at its highest level in recent years with 25,760 personnel, representing an
8.4 per cent increase from 2011, when there were 23,758 core workers, and a 17.6 per cent increase from 2010,
when there were 21,896 core workers. This rise in the number of core employees reflects the investment in
new developments and improvements to existing assets and infrastructure.
Figure 9: Number of Core Personnel Travelling Offshore from 2006 to 2012
 
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
NumberofCorePersonnel
Years
Core Workers
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 15
The	core	workforce,	as	in	2011,	conti	nues	to	account	for	approximately	45	per	cent	of	the	total	workforce	
who	travelled	off	shore	in	2012.	
Figure 10: Total Versus Core Personnel who Travelled Offshore from 2006 to 2012
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
NumberofPersonnel
Years
Total Core Workers
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 16
Similar	to	the	total	workforce,	half	of	the	core	workers	travelled	off	shore	to	a	single	locati	on	with	the	majority	
working	for	a	single	operator	in	2012.
Figure 11: The Number of Locations Visited Offshore by the Core Workforce in 2012
Figure 12: The Number of Operators Worked for by the Core Workforce in 2012
50%
20%
9%
6%
4%
3%
2% 2%
1% 3%
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10+
67%
17%
6%
4%
3% 3%
1
2
3
4
5
6+
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 17
5.1	 Comparative Trends of the Core Workforce
The change in the number of core workers has been plotted alongside a range of different metrics in figures
13 to 17 below to identify any notable correlations or trends.
The number of core personnel, like the total workforce (see section 4), correlates with the oil price with a
lag of one year (see figure 13 below). The red dotted projection line (based on historical data) forecasts an
increase in the number of core personnel over the next two years. The actual figure for 2012 is already slightly
higher than the line of projection but, if the correlation between the number of personnel and the oil price
holds true, we would expect to see numbers plateau next year.
Figure 13: The Number of Core Personnel Travelling Offshore between 2006 and 2012, with Projected
Figures to 2014, Plotted Alongside the Oil Price ($)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
OilPriceper$perBarrel
NumberofCorePersonnel
Years
Core Workers Oil Price / $
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 18
Although	producti	on	and	drilling	acti	vity	declined,	the	core	workforce	travelling	off	shore	has	increased	from	
2010	to	2012	(as	discussed	on	page	14).	The	decline	in	oil	and	gas	producti	on	year	on	year	is	broadly	in	
line	with	the	trend	seen	since	2005.	However	since	2010,	producti	on	fell	by	30	per	cent	in	just	two	years.	
Oil	&	Gas	UK’s	Activity Survey	att	ributes	this	to	the	slowdown	in	investment	which	reached	a	low	point	in	
2008	to	2009,	extended	planned	maintenance	shutdowns	and	a	number	of	unplanned	shutdowns.	
Figure 14: The Relationship between the Number of Core Workers and Production Figures
from 2006 to 2012
Figure 15: The Relationship between the Number of Core Workers and Drilling Activity from 2006 to 2012
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
ProductionperMillionBarrelsofOilEquivalentperDay
NumberofPersonnel
Years
Core Workers
Production
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
NumberofWells
NumberofPersonnel
Years
Appraisal
Exploration
Development
Core Workers
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 19
Figure 16: The Relationship between the Number of Core Workers and Overall Expenditure from
2006 to 2012
Figure 17: The Relationship between the Number of Core Workers and the Operating and Capital
Expenditure Costs from 2006 to 2012
 
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
0
5
10
15
20
25
NumberofPersonnel
Years
£Billion
Exploration & Appraisal Costs
Development Costs
Operating Costs
Core Workers
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
£Billion
Years
NumberofPersonnel
Operating Costs
Capital Expenditure Costs
Core Workers
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 20
6.	 Residential Locations and Nationalities of the Workforce
6.1	 Residential Locations
The map below (figure 18) shows the UK home addresses of personnel working offshore on the UKCS. It
illustrates that the majority of offshore workers, just over half, live in Scotland. Twenty-five per cent of the
total workforce lives in the north east of Scotland, with significant numbers living on the east coast and along
the central belt.
Roughly 30 per cent of the total offshore workforce has a registered postcode in England. The key areas are
the north east, north west and East Anglia. This correlates with the presence of the fabrication industry in
and around Newcastle, as well as oil and gas operations at Morecambe Bay and areas close to Humberside,
which is a flight base for travelling to the southern North Sea.
Figure 18: A Map Illustrating the UK Home Addresses of all Workers on the UK Continental Shelf
Number of
Personnel
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 21
6.2	 Workforce	Nati	onaliti	es
In	2012,	47,192	of	the	personnel	who	travelled	off	shore	were	of	Briti	sh	nati	onality,	which	is	82.8	per	cent	
of	the	total	off	shore	workforce	and	an	increase	of	8.8	per	cent	from	2006	when	43,387	employees	were	of	
Briti	sh	nati	onality.
Figure 19: The Number of Offshore Workers of British Nationality from 2006 to 2012
The	breakdown	of	nati	onaliti	es	represented	by	the	UKCS	workforce	has	also	been	analysed.	The	breadth	of	
countries	represented	(shown	in	light	green	in	the	map	below)	demonstrates	the	workforce’s	diversity	and	
the	industry’s	signifi	cant	global	reach	for	employment.
Figure 20: A Map Showing the Nationalities Working Offshore on the UK Continental Shelf. The Countries
Shown in Light Green are Represented by Employees
39,000
40,000
41,000
42,000
43,000
44,000
45,000
46,000
47,000
48,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
NumberofPersonnel
Years
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 22
The breakdown of non-British nationalities working offshore on the UKCS is provided in figure 21 below.
In comparison to 2011, a number of observations can be made:
•	 The greatest number of non-British employees in 2012 were still Norwegian, followed by the Dutch and
employees from the USA.
•	 The proportion of Canadians, French, Germans, Polish, Irish and Lithuanians working on the UKCS declined
in 2012.
•	 The proportion of Maltese employees declined, dropping out of the top ten non-British nationalities
working on the UKCS.
•	 The Danish employees were a new entry in the top ten in 2012, accounting for 3.5 per cent of the offshore
population from outside the UK.
Figure 21: The Top Ten Non-British Nationalities Working on the UK Continental Shelf
 
Nationality
Proportion of
Non-British Workers
No. of Personnel
Norwegian 15% 1,473
Dutch 9.4% 918
American (USA) 4.7% 464
Polish 4.4% 429
Irish 3.5% 344
Danish 3.5% 340
French 2.5% 247
Canadian 2.3% 230
Lithuanian 2.1% 201
German 1.9% 188
Other 50.6% 4,956
Total No. of
Non-British Employees
9,790
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 23
7.	 Female	Workforce
Since	2006,	the	industry	has	seen	an	increase	of	18.7	per	cent	in	the	total	number	of	females	travelling	
off	shore.	However,	this	is	just	a	0.15	per	cent	increase	in	the	proporti	on	of	female	employees	relati	ve	to	the	
total	workforce	populati	on.	This	confi	rms	that	the	industry	has	a	long	way	to	go	to	increase	gender	diversity.
In	2012,	2,138	females	travelled	off	shore,	representi	ng	3.75	per	cent	of	the	total	off	shore	workforce	and	
an	increase	of	0.05	per	cent	from	2011.	Of	the	female	employees,	753	were	core	workers	and	763	travelled	
off	shore	for	10	nights	or	less.
The	distributi	on	of	females	across	the	various	age	ranges	has	remained	fairly	constant	since	2006,	with	the	
highest	number	of	females	falling	into	the	24	to	29	age	bracket	in	2012	(see	fi	gure	22	below).	From	the	age	of	
30	there	is	a	decline	in	the	number	of	females	travelling	off	shore.	
Figure 22: Female Offshore Population Versus Male Population, 2012
Under
18
18 - 23 24 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65+
Female 0 122 620 419 310 238 194 151 64 15 5
Male 17 3,205 8,799 7,746 7,214 7,455 7,124 6,112 4,370 2,361 441
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
NumberofPersonnel
Age in Years
Female
Male
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 24
Figures 23 and 24 below show that 28 per cent of the total number of female employees (around 600) work
in the catering discipline. The number of females in catering has increased year on year with the exception of
2010 to 2011. Other key disciplines in which females work offshore are as follows: maintenance (219 – 10.2
per cent), health, safety and environment (106 – five per cent) and medical (89 – four per cent).
It should be noted that there were 324 females (15 per cent) with ‘unknown’ in the job role field on Vantage.
Figure 23: A Comparison of the Total Number of Female Workers with those in Non-Catering Roles
between 2006 and 2012
Figure 24: The Total Number of Female Workers and those in Non-Catering Roles between 2006 and 2012
Year All
Excluding
Catering
2006 1,756 1,279
2007 1,881 1,386
2008 1,887 1,362
2009 1,895 1,326
2010 1,833 1,289
2011 1,930 1,371
2012 2,138 1,539
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800
2,000
2,200
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
NumberofFemaleWorkers
Years
Excluding Catering
All Female Workers
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 25
8.	 Age	Analysis
The	average	age	of	the	total	off	shore	workforce	was	41.1	years	in	2012.	This	has	remained	fairly	constant	
since	2006,	staying	in	the	range	of	40	to	41	years.
Figure	25	below	illustrates	that,	as	the	workforce	increases,	the	greatest	growth	can	be	seen	in	young	and	
middle	aged	personnel	as	opposed	to	those	in	older	age	groups.	This	data	should	dispel	the	percepti	on	that	
the	off	shore	workforce	is	an	ageing	workforce.
Figure 25: The Age Profile of the Offshore Workforce from 2010 to 2012
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800
2,000
18 23 28 33 38 43 48 53 58 63 68 73
NumberofPersonnel
Age
2012 Figures
2011 Figures
2010 Figures
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 26
Encouragingly, the figures reveal that in 2012 there were two and a half times more people in the age bracket
23 to 28 than in the age bracket of 60 to 65.
Figure 26: The Number of Workers Aged 23 to 28 Compared with those Aged 60 to 65 in 2012
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800
2,000
18 23 28 33 38 43 48 53 58 63 68 73
NumberofPersonnel
Age
7,940 Workers
Aged 23 to 28
3,083 Workers
Aged 60 to 65
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 27
2012	saw	an	increase	in	employees	in	all	age	brackets.	The	largest	rise	compared	with	2011	is	in	the	30	to	
34	age	range	of	15.7	per	cent,	and	there	was	also	a	13.7	per	cent	rise	in	the	number	of	workers	under	30.	
This	is	encouraging,	although	the	industry	sti	ll	needs	to	conti	nue	to	retain	and	att	ract	mid-career	personnel	
(ages	35	to	49).
Figure 27: The Change in the Number of Workers in Each Age Range Since 2011 (Total Workforce)
-200
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
Under 18 18 - 23 24 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65+
ChangeintheNumbersofWorkersSince2011
Age
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 28
More	broadly,	fi	gures	28	and	29	compare	the	workers’	age	ranges	between	2006	and	2012.	This	reveals	
that	 2012	 saw	 a	 reversal	 of	 the	 previous	 reducti	on	 in	 mid-career	 personnel.	 However	 these	 numbers	
remain	considerably	lower	than	the	growth	seen	in	all	other	age	brackets,	illustrati	ng	a	conti	nual	gap	in	the	
mid-career	workforce.
Figure 28: The Change in the Numbers of Workers in Each Age Range for the Total Workforce
between 2006 and 2012 and between 2006 and 2011
Figure 29: The Change in the Numbers of Core Workers in Each Age Range between 2006 and 2012
-1,000
-500
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
Under 18 18 - 23 24 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65+
ChangeintheNumbersofWorkers
Age
2006 - 2012
2006 - 2011
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
Under 18 18 - 23 24 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65+
ChangeintheNumbersofWorkers
Age
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 29
Personnel	 working	 for	 operators	 display	 a	 more	 even	 distributi	on	 across	 the	 age	 ranges	 whereas	
non-operators	have	more	employees	working	in	the	early	to	mid-career	range,	with	fewer	workers	from	
the	age	of	44	years	onwards.	However,	when	analysing	the	65+	age	group,	the	non-operators	have	a	higher	
proporti	on	of	workers	in	this	range	than	the	operators.	
Figure 30: Age Profile of Employees for Operators and Non-Operators in 2012
 
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
Under 18 18 - 23 24 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65+
NumberofPersonnel
Age
Operator
Non-Operator
UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
page 30
9.	 Skills Activity Update
As the report shows, the drop in personnel in the age range 35 to 49 in 2011 has reversed and the numbers in
that age range increased in 2012, though by smaller numbers than all other age groups apart from those under
23 and over 65. This mid-career gap is replicated in a number of onshore roles, including design engineering,
subsea and drilling engineering, and geosciences. Though this is partly due to cutbacks implemented when
the oil price has fallen substantially in the past, it is also very much a consequence of our success as an
industry. The skills, expertise and technology developed on the UKCS are highly sought after by other oil and
gas provinces around the world; competition for skills is truly global.  
The shortage in skilled personnel is cited as one of the biggest challenges for the UK’s offshore oil and
gas industry. During the past year, Oil & Gas UK has been working with industry to identify where, and to
what extent, collaboration can help alleviate this issue. A number of areas for activity have been identified,
including:
•	 Establishing a high level industry relationship with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) – 18,000 to 20,000
men and women will leave the armed forces in each of the next three years and many of those will have
transferable skills. OPITO is working with the MoD to map and identify skills in industry and military roles.
•	 Developing discipline work groups to explore the feasibility of transition training/accelerated
development.
•	 Creating smarter training solutions – for example, through possible development of facilities that could
be used as an assessment/proving centre for skilled workers from other industries and to reduce the
offshore training time required for trainees. A feasibility study is underway for this initiative.
•	 Lobbying the UK Government on immigration policy to facilitate recruitment of skilled personnel from
non-EU countries.
•	 Education – pooling resources and effort under the auspices of OPITO so the industry can reach more
schools throughout the UK, more often, and with a consistent message about the importance of and
opportunities afforded by studying STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).  
Though the sector has no difficulties in attracting new trainee entrants to the industry, it is important for
the long term to sustain a pipeline of school leavers and graduates with STEM qualifications, not just for the
long-term success of the industry but for UK plc.  
With record levels of investment and high levels of activity on the UKCS, the challenge of increasing the
supply of skilled personnel in the industry will not be resolved in the immediate future. However, a sound
understanding of our labour market and future demands for skills – both on and offshore – are essential to
understanding that challenge and developing additional solutions.
www.oilandgasuk.co.uk
Oil & Gas UK (Aberdeen)
2nd Floor
The Exchange 2
62 Market Street
Aberdeen  
AB11 5PJ
Tel: 01224 577 250
Oil & Gas UK (London)
6th Floor East
Portland House
Bressenden Place
London  
SW1E 5BH
Tel: 020 7802 2400 info@oilandgasuk.co.uk
ISBN 1 903 004 05 5
© 2013 The UK Oil and Gas Industry Association Limited, trading as Oil & Gas UK.

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UK Continental Shelf Offshore Workforce Demographics Report 2013

  • 1. UK CONTINENTAL SHELF OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013
  • 2.
  • 3. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 3 Contents 1. Foreword 4 2. Executive Summary 5 3. Introduction 6 4. Total Workforce 7 5. Core Workforce 14 5.1 Comparative Trends of the Core Workforce 17 6. Residential Locations and Nationalities of the Workforce 20 6.1 Residential Locations 20 6.2 Workforce Nationalities 21 7. Female Workforce 23 8. Age Analysis 25 9. Skills Activity Update 30  
  • 4. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 4 1. Foreword The UK oil and gas industry has been active since the mid-1960s and has grown, now requiring around 26,000 workers who regularly travel offshore, alongside the hundreds of thousands who work onshore. To ensure a continued, sufficient supply of skilled people to service UK oil and gas production, it is important that the industry understands the workforce profile and how it changes over time. Oil & Gas UK’s most recent forecasts highlight record investment in new developments, growing interest in exploring for new reserves and fields that are expected to produce into the 2040s1 . Developing an understanding of the workforce profile is therefore more important than ever in meeting the growing and long-term demand for a skilled workforce. This is Oil & Gas UK’s seventh annual UK Continental Shelf Offshore Workforce Demographics Report and is designed to help companies understand current trends and to plan ahead. It considers how the composition of the offshore workforce has changed from 2006 to 2012, with particular attention paid to age, gender and residential location. Oil & Gas UK is actively developing and helping to drive forward a number of industry programmes to sustain the supply of workers throughout the sector. These initiatives include, but are not limited to, improving the perception of the industry as a place to build a career, helping to encourage the uptake of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects in schools, and supporting the transition of skilled people in the mid-career phase from other sectors. We hope you enjoy reading the report. Any queries should be directed to Oil & Gas UK’s employment and skills issues manager, Dr Alix Thom, on athom@oilandgasuk.co.uk Alix Thom Employment and Skills Issues Manager 1 Oil & Gas UK’s Activity Survey 2013 is available to download at: http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/forecasts.cfm
  • 5. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 5 2. Executive Summary The data used in this report came from the Vantage Personnel On Board (POB) system and have been analysed to identify trends in the UK oil and gas industry offshore workforce. The following summarises the key findings for 2012: • A total of 56,982 people travelled offshore in 2012, which is the highest number since 2006 when data were first analysed and nearly a nine per cent increase from 2011 when 52,300 employees travelled offshore. • The core workforce (those working over 100 nights per year offshore) remained at approximately 45 per cent of the total workforce, reflecting the continuing stability of these roles. At 25,760, the number of core workers is at its highest since 2006 and represents an increase of 8.4 per cent from 2011 when there were 23,758 core workers. • Three and a half times more non-operator personnel than operator personnel travelled offshore in 2012. The total number of personnel travelling offshore increased by five per cent and ten per cent from 2011 to 2012 for operators and non-operators, respectively. • Over eighty per cent of the total number of workers travelling offshore are of British nationality. • Female employees represented 3.75 per cent (2,138) of the total offshore population in 2012, of which 753 are core workers. This is an increase of only 0.05 per cent from 2011. • The average age of the offshore workforce was 41.1 years. This is similar to the average age recorded over the last seven years; the lowest during that time was 40.4 years in 2009. • 2012 saw an increase in employees travelling offshore in all age brackets. There was a 13.7 per cent rise in the number of workers under the age of 30.
  • 6. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 6 3. Introduction This report presents up-to-date analysis of demographics data for the offshore workforce from 2006 to 2012. The data are extracted from the Vantage Personnel On Board (POB) system, which is used to track the movements of personnel to and from offshore installations. The data are collected in two groups – the total numbers travelling offshore and the core workforce (those working over 100 nights per year offshore). The report will consider the differences that arise between the core and total workforce and between operatorandnon-operatorworkers,aswellasanalysingtheworkers’UKresidentiallocations,thenationalities represented by the workforce, the female demographic and the age profile of the workforce and how this has changed.  
  • 7. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 7 4. Total Workforce At 56,982, 2012 saw the highest total number of workers travelling off shore on the UK Conti nental Shelf (UKCS) since 2006, when data were fi rst analysed. This is an increase of nearly nine per cent from 2011 when 52,300 employees travelled off shore, which is the most signifi cant year-on-year increase, and nearly a 14 per cent increase from 2006. Figure 1: Total Number of Personnel who Travelled Offshore from 2006 to 2012   46,000 48,000 50,000 52,000 54,000 56,000 58,000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 NumberofPersonnel Years
  • 8. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 8 Figure 2 below illustrates the spread of the total workforce between those working for operators and those working for non-operators (companies which are not producti on operators). In 2006, there were fi ve and a half ti mes more employees for non-operators than operators. However, this has fl uctuated between three to three and a half ti mes more from 2007 to 2012. Figure 2: Total Personnel Travelling Offshore for Operators and Non-Operators from 2006 to 2012 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 NumberofPersonnel Years Operator Non-Operator Total
  • 9. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 9 Of the total off shore workforce in 2012, 17.7 per cent (10,086) travelled off shore for ten nights or less (see fi gure 3 below). The non-core workforce (who works less than 100 nights per year off shore) will have predominantly onshore jobs with the requirement to travel off shore occasionally. It must also be noted that there may be a number of new starts to the core workforce (who work 100-plus nights per year) who have not yet spent over 100 nights off shore. Figure 3: The Number of Nights Spent Offshore by the Non-Core Workforce in 2012 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 0 - 10 11 - 20 21 - 30 31 - 40 41 - 50 51 - 60 61 - 70 71 - 80 81 - 90 91 - 100 NumberofPersonnel Number of Nights
  • 10. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 10 Last year’s report plotted for the first time the total number of workers travelling offshore against the oil price, which showed a correlation between the number of personnel and oil price with a time lag of one year. The same correlation can be seen in Figure 4 below for 2012. If this trend is to continue, we would expect to see a plateau in the number of personnel in 2013. However, increasing levels of investment and activity on the UKCS2 mean the industry may in fact see a further increase in the number of personnel as new or rescheduled projects start. Next year’s figures should therefore give an indication as to the veracity of the correlation seen so far. Figure 4: The Total Number of Personnel Travelling Offshore between 2006 and 2012, Plotted Alongside the Average Oil Price ($)   2 Oil & Gas UK’s Activity Survey 2013 is available to download at: http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/forecasts.cfm 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 40,000 42,000 44,000 46,000 48,000 50,000 52,000 54,000 56,000 58,000 60,000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 AverageOilPriceper$perBarrel NumberofPersonnel Years Total Number of Personnel Oil Price / $
  • 11. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 11 49% 20% 10% 6% 4% 3% 2% 2% 1% 3% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+ Figures 5 and 6 below illustrate that nearly half the number of personnel travelled off shore to a single locati on with the majority working for a single operator. Figure 5: The Number of Locations Visited Offshore by the Total Workforce in 2012 Figure 6: The Number of Operators Worked for by the Total Workforce in 2012 0% 65% 18% 8% 4% 2% 3% 0 1 2 3 4 5 6+
  • 12. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 12 The largest proporti on of the total off shore workforce travelled to the central North Sea in 2012, which is the most developed basin on the UKCS. The second largest populati on travelled to multi ple sectors. Figure 7: Geographic Distribution of the Total Workforce on the UK Continental Shelf No. of Males & Females No. of Males No. of Females No. of Males & Females No. of Males No. of Females No. of Males & Females No. of Males No. of Females No. of Males & Females No. of Males No. of Females No. of Males & Females No. of Males No. of Females No. of Males & Females No. of Males No. of Females
  • 13. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 13 The west of Shetland has seen the largest increase of 117 per cent in terms of the total number of workers travelling to the sector from 2006 to 2012. There has been a 116.5 and a 133.3 per cent increase in the number of males and females travelling to the sector, respectively. The northern North Sea has seen the second largest increase from 2006 to 2012; in particular, there has been a large increase of 53.6 per cent in the number of female employees travelling to this sector. Figure 8: Difference in the Geographic Distribution of the Total Workforce between 2006 and 2012 3 Earliest Morecambe Bay figures recorded are from 2009 and not 2006 No. of Males No. of Females No. of Males No. of Females No. of Males No. of Females Central North Sea 21,805 903 23,818 1,071 9.2 18.6 Northern North Sea 6,255 181 7,673 278 22.7 53.6 Southern North Sea 5,522 208 5,733 189 3.8 -9.1 Morecambe Bay3 814 30 783 39 -3.8 30 West of Shetland 1,146 63 2,481 147 116.5 133.3 Multiple Sectors 12,959 385 14,356 414 10.8 7.5 Sectors 2006 2012 % Difference, 2006 to 2012
  • 14. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 14 5. Core Workforce The core workforce is defined as those workers who work offshore for more than 100 nights per year. This captures either the common offshore work patterns of equal time (two weeks on, two weeks off/three weeks on, three weeks off) or two weeks on, three weeks off. In 2012, the core workforce was at its highest level in recent years with 25,760 personnel, representing an 8.4 per cent increase from 2011, when there were 23,758 core workers, and a 17.6 per cent increase from 2010, when there were 21,896 core workers. This rise in the number of core employees reflects the investment in new developments and improvements to existing assets and infrastructure. Figure 9: Number of Core Personnel Travelling Offshore from 2006 to 2012   0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 NumberofCorePersonnel Years Core Workers
  • 15. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 15 The core workforce, as in 2011, conti nues to account for approximately 45 per cent of the total workforce who travelled off shore in 2012. Figure 10: Total Versus Core Personnel who Travelled Offshore from 2006 to 2012 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 NumberofPersonnel Years Total Core Workers
  • 16. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 16 Similar to the total workforce, half of the core workers travelled off shore to a single locati on with the majority working for a single operator in 2012. Figure 11: The Number of Locations Visited Offshore by the Core Workforce in 2012 Figure 12: The Number of Operators Worked for by the Core Workforce in 2012 50% 20% 9% 6% 4% 3% 2% 2% 1% 3% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+ 67% 17% 6% 4% 3% 3% 1 2 3 4 5 6+
  • 17. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 17 5.1 Comparative Trends of the Core Workforce The change in the number of core workers has been plotted alongside a range of different metrics in figures 13 to 17 below to identify any notable correlations or trends. The number of core personnel, like the total workforce (see section 4), correlates with the oil price with a lag of one year (see figure 13 below). The red dotted projection line (based on historical data) forecasts an increase in the number of core personnel over the next two years. The actual figure for 2012 is already slightly higher than the line of projection but, if the correlation between the number of personnel and the oil price holds true, we would expect to see numbers plateau next year. Figure 13: The Number of Core Personnel Travelling Offshore between 2006 and 2012, with Projected Figures to 2014, Plotted Alongside the Oil Price ($) 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 OilPriceper$perBarrel NumberofCorePersonnel Years Core Workers Oil Price / $
  • 18. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 18 Although producti on and drilling acti vity declined, the core workforce travelling off shore has increased from 2010 to 2012 (as discussed on page 14). The decline in oil and gas producti on year on year is broadly in line with the trend seen since 2005. However since 2010, producti on fell by 30 per cent in just two years. Oil & Gas UK’s Activity Survey att ributes this to the slowdown in investment which reached a low point in 2008 to 2009, extended planned maintenance shutdowns and a number of unplanned shutdowns. Figure 14: The Relationship between the Number of Core Workers and Production Figures from 2006 to 2012 Figure 15: The Relationship between the Number of Core Workers and Drilling Activity from 2006 to 2012 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 ProductionperMillionBarrelsofOilEquivalentperDay NumberofPersonnel Years Core Workers Production 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 NumberofWells NumberofPersonnel Years Appraisal Exploration Development Core Workers
  • 19. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 19 Figure 16: The Relationship between the Number of Core Workers and Overall Expenditure from 2006 to 2012 Figure 17: The Relationship between the Number of Core Workers and the Operating and Capital Expenditure Costs from 2006 to 2012   0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 0 5 10 15 20 25 NumberofPersonnel Years £Billion Exploration & Appraisal Costs Development Costs Operating Costs Core Workers 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 £Billion Years NumberofPersonnel Operating Costs Capital Expenditure Costs Core Workers
  • 20. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 20 6. Residential Locations and Nationalities of the Workforce 6.1 Residential Locations The map below (figure 18) shows the UK home addresses of personnel working offshore on the UKCS. It illustrates that the majority of offshore workers, just over half, live in Scotland. Twenty-five per cent of the total workforce lives in the north east of Scotland, with significant numbers living on the east coast and along the central belt. Roughly 30 per cent of the total offshore workforce has a registered postcode in England. The key areas are the north east, north west and East Anglia. This correlates with the presence of the fabrication industry in and around Newcastle, as well as oil and gas operations at Morecambe Bay and areas close to Humberside, which is a flight base for travelling to the southern North Sea. Figure 18: A Map Illustrating the UK Home Addresses of all Workers on the UK Continental Shelf Number of Personnel
  • 21. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 21 6.2 Workforce Nati onaliti es In 2012, 47,192 of the personnel who travelled off shore were of Briti sh nati onality, which is 82.8 per cent of the total off shore workforce and an increase of 8.8 per cent from 2006 when 43,387 employees were of Briti sh nati onality. Figure 19: The Number of Offshore Workers of British Nationality from 2006 to 2012 The breakdown of nati onaliti es represented by the UKCS workforce has also been analysed. The breadth of countries represented (shown in light green in the map below) demonstrates the workforce’s diversity and the industry’s signifi cant global reach for employment. Figure 20: A Map Showing the Nationalities Working Offshore on the UK Continental Shelf. The Countries Shown in Light Green are Represented by Employees 39,000 40,000 41,000 42,000 43,000 44,000 45,000 46,000 47,000 48,000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 NumberofPersonnel Years
  • 22. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 22 The breakdown of non-British nationalities working offshore on the UKCS is provided in figure 21 below. In comparison to 2011, a number of observations can be made: • The greatest number of non-British employees in 2012 were still Norwegian, followed by the Dutch and employees from the USA. • The proportion of Canadians, French, Germans, Polish, Irish and Lithuanians working on the UKCS declined in 2012. • The proportion of Maltese employees declined, dropping out of the top ten non-British nationalities working on the UKCS. • The Danish employees were a new entry in the top ten in 2012, accounting for 3.5 per cent of the offshore population from outside the UK. Figure 21: The Top Ten Non-British Nationalities Working on the UK Continental Shelf   Nationality Proportion of Non-British Workers No. of Personnel Norwegian 15% 1,473 Dutch 9.4% 918 American (USA) 4.7% 464 Polish 4.4% 429 Irish 3.5% 344 Danish 3.5% 340 French 2.5% 247 Canadian 2.3% 230 Lithuanian 2.1% 201 German 1.9% 188 Other 50.6% 4,956 Total No. of Non-British Employees 9,790
  • 23. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 23 7. Female Workforce Since 2006, the industry has seen an increase of 18.7 per cent in the total number of females travelling off shore. However, this is just a 0.15 per cent increase in the proporti on of female employees relati ve to the total workforce populati on. This confi rms that the industry has a long way to go to increase gender diversity. In 2012, 2,138 females travelled off shore, representi ng 3.75 per cent of the total off shore workforce and an increase of 0.05 per cent from 2011. Of the female employees, 753 were core workers and 763 travelled off shore for 10 nights or less. The distributi on of females across the various age ranges has remained fairly constant since 2006, with the highest number of females falling into the 24 to 29 age bracket in 2012 (see fi gure 22 below). From the age of 30 there is a decline in the number of females travelling off shore. Figure 22: Female Offshore Population Versus Male Population, 2012 Under 18 18 - 23 24 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65+ Female 0 122 620 419 310 238 194 151 64 15 5 Male 17 3,205 8,799 7,746 7,214 7,455 7,124 6,112 4,370 2,361 441 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 10,000 NumberofPersonnel Age in Years Female Male
  • 24. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 24 Figures 23 and 24 below show that 28 per cent of the total number of female employees (around 600) work in the catering discipline. The number of females in catering has increased year on year with the exception of 2010 to 2011. Other key disciplines in which females work offshore are as follows: maintenance (219 – 10.2 per cent), health, safety and environment (106 – five per cent) and medical (89 – four per cent). It should be noted that there were 324 females (15 per cent) with ‘unknown’ in the job role field on Vantage. Figure 23: A Comparison of the Total Number of Female Workers with those in Non-Catering Roles between 2006 and 2012 Figure 24: The Total Number of Female Workers and those in Non-Catering Roles between 2006 and 2012 Year All Excluding Catering 2006 1,756 1,279 2007 1,881 1,386 2008 1,887 1,362 2009 1,895 1,326 2010 1,833 1,289 2011 1,930 1,371 2012 2,138 1,539 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000 2,200 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 NumberofFemaleWorkers Years Excluding Catering All Female Workers
  • 25. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 25 8. Age Analysis The average age of the total off shore workforce was 41.1 years in 2012. This has remained fairly constant since 2006, staying in the range of 40 to 41 years. Figure 25 below illustrates that, as the workforce increases, the greatest growth can be seen in young and middle aged personnel as opposed to those in older age groups. This data should dispel the percepti on that the off shore workforce is an ageing workforce. Figure 25: The Age Profile of the Offshore Workforce from 2010 to 2012 0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000 18 23 28 33 38 43 48 53 58 63 68 73 NumberofPersonnel Age 2012 Figures 2011 Figures 2010 Figures
  • 26. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 26 Encouragingly, the figures reveal that in 2012 there were two and a half times more people in the age bracket 23 to 28 than in the age bracket of 60 to 65. Figure 26: The Number of Workers Aged 23 to 28 Compared with those Aged 60 to 65 in 2012 0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000 18 23 28 33 38 43 48 53 58 63 68 73 NumberofPersonnel Age 7,940 Workers Aged 23 to 28 3,083 Workers Aged 60 to 65
  • 27. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 27 2012 saw an increase in employees in all age brackets. The largest rise compared with 2011 is in the 30 to 34 age range of 15.7 per cent, and there was also a 13.7 per cent rise in the number of workers under 30. This is encouraging, although the industry sti ll needs to conti nue to retain and att ract mid-career personnel (ages 35 to 49). Figure 27: The Change in the Number of Workers in Each Age Range Since 2011 (Total Workforce) -200 0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 Under 18 18 - 23 24 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65+ ChangeintheNumbersofWorkersSince2011 Age
  • 28. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 28 More broadly, fi gures 28 and 29 compare the workers’ age ranges between 2006 and 2012. This reveals that 2012 saw a reversal of the previous reducti on in mid-career personnel. However these numbers remain considerably lower than the growth seen in all other age brackets, illustrati ng a conti nual gap in the mid-career workforce. Figure 28: The Change in the Numbers of Workers in Each Age Range for the Total Workforce between 2006 and 2012 and between 2006 and 2011 Figure 29: The Change in the Numbers of Core Workers in Each Age Range between 2006 and 2012 -1,000 -500 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 Under 18 18 - 23 24 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65+ ChangeintheNumbersofWorkers Age 2006 - 2012 2006 - 2011 0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 Under 18 18 - 23 24 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65+ ChangeintheNumbersofWorkers Age
  • 29. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 29 Personnel working for operators display a more even distributi on across the age ranges whereas non-operators have more employees working in the early to mid-career range, with fewer workers from the age of 44 years onwards. However, when analysing the 65+ age group, the non-operators have a higher proporti on of workers in this range than the operators. Figure 30: Age Profile of Employees for Operators and Non-Operators in 2012   0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 Under 18 18 - 23 24 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65+ NumberofPersonnel Age Operator Non-Operator
  • 30. UKCS OFFSHORE WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT 2013 page 30 9. Skills Activity Update As the report shows, the drop in personnel in the age range 35 to 49 in 2011 has reversed and the numbers in that age range increased in 2012, though by smaller numbers than all other age groups apart from those under 23 and over 65. This mid-career gap is replicated in a number of onshore roles, including design engineering, subsea and drilling engineering, and geosciences. Though this is partly due to cutbacks implemented when the oil price has fallen substantially in the past, it is also very much a consequence of our success as an industry. The skills, expertise and technology developed on the UKCS are highly sought after by other oil and gas provinces around the world; competition for skills is truly global. The shortage in skilled personnel is cited as one of the biggest challenges for the UK’s offshore oil and gas industry. During the past year, Oil & Gas UK has been working with industry to identify where, and to what extent, collaboration can help alleviate this issue. A number of areas for activity have been identified, including: • Establishing a high level industry relationship with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) – 18,000 to 20,000 men and women will leave the armed forces in each of the next three years and many of those will have transferable skills. OPITO is working with the MoD to map and identify skills in industry and military roles. • Developing discipline work groups to explore the feasibility of transition training/accelerated development. • Creating smarter training solutions – for example, through possible development of facilities that could be used as an assessment/proving centre for skilled workers from other industries and to reduce the offshore training time required for trainees. A feasibility study is underway for this initiative. • Lobbying the UK Government on immigration policy to facilitate recruitment of skilled personnel from non-EU countries. • Education – pooling resources and effort under the auspices of OPITO so the industry can reach more schools throughout the UK, more often, and with a consistent message about the importance of and opportunities afforded by studying STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). Though the sector has no difficulties in attracting new trainee entrants to the industry, it is important for the long term to sustain a pipeline of school leavers and graduates with STEM qualifications, not just for the long-term success of the industry but for UK plc. With record levels of investment and high levels of activity on the UKCS, the challenge of increasing the supply of skilled personnel in the industry will not be resolved in the immediate future. However, a sound understanding of our labour market and future demands for skills – both on and offshore – are essential to understanding that challenge and developing additional solutions.
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  • 32. www.oilandgasuk.co.uk Oil & Gas UK (Aberdeen) 2nd Floor The Exchange 2 62 Market Street Aberdeen AB11 5PJ Tel: 01224 577 250 Oil & Gas UK (London) 6th Floor East Portland House Bressenden Place London SW1E 5BH Tel: 020 7802 2400 info@oilandgasuk.co.uk ISBN 1 903 004 05 5 © 2013 The UK Oil and Gas Industry Association Limited, trading as Oil & Gas UK.