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With the increase in global skill shortages, it is time to consider top talent from other industries?

23rd April 2014

  

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WRS’s Mining  (0.06 MB)

We have recently commented on various aspects of the skill shortages within our niche areas – notably Oil & Gas and Energy. And we’re not alone in highlighting the global talent shortage across these sectors, regular coverage is widespread throughout both industry specific and national news channels.

So is it time for companies to consider expanding their search to include skilled talent from other industries? Dan Saleh, our resident Oil & Gas expert, says, “We know there are serious shortfalls in the number of suitably skilled individuals in certain disciplines within Oil & Gas and we are actively encouraging our customers to consider candidates from other sectors, especially those who can offer a good range of transferrable skills. However at the moment, this type of skills transfer is in its infancy and this needs to be addressed and encouraged at every opportunity.”

Jordan Randall of WRS’s Mining division and Country Manager for Australia and Central Africa, gives his take on this challenging situation, “With the current challenges in the mining industry, we are seeing increasing numbers of highly skilled and experienced individuals looking for job stability and seeing that opportunity with a move into Oil & Gas. The invisible barrier stopping this transition is a genuine frustration for professionals in the market who are seeking a cross-border role right now.”

“One of our candidates is a clear example of this scenario”, says Jordan. Australian Craig Williams, a Contracts & Procurement specialist in Mining with 28 years’ experience in both project and operations environments and a whole host of transferrable skills, recently contacted WRS.  In his experience this invisible barrier is all too real. Craig explains, “I have read a number of articles recently which highlight the serious skills shortage in Oil & Gas. Whilst I accept this is primarily within the more technical disciplines, I also believe it extends to the support functions - such as Contracts and Procurement.  I am a 'seasoned veteran' in this discipline, with experience within Australia and also internationally, however my background is predominantly within Mining - putting me on the other side of that invisible barrier between the two sectors.”

He elaborates, “With the reduction in opportunities within the Mining industry, I have tried on a number of occasions to secure employment within Oil & Gas but without success to date. At present I am actively looking for work overseas, on a rotational basis, but while I definitely have the skills and experience, it is (seemingly) in the wrong sector. What I'm looking for is the opportunity to make the move across as I believe that Oil & Gas employers, who are actively looking for individuals with my skill set, would soon realise the benefits of employing those with experience similar to mine, albeit in Mining.”

Craig goes on to say, “In answer to those in O&G who may take the view that individuals with a mining background don't know their business, whilst I agree that O&G is technically different to Mining, the underlying Procurement & Contracts fundamentals are the same. In my case, in addition to my Mining background, I also have experience with drilling (exploration & blast-hole) and with rail infrastructure (civil design & construction, bridges & structures, signalling & track). So to categorise me under a generic "Mining" label means that potential employers in other sectors are missing out on a wealth of valuable experience.”

Jordan backs up Craig’s story, “A candidate with Craig’s experience can definitely offer considerable value to other sectors and has a number of skills directly relevant to the Oil & Gas industry which include developing strategic alliances with global EPCM contractors, leading and building Procurement/Contracts capability on major $Bn capital projects, management of in-bound supply chain activities in remote locations, establishing procurement and supply functions in multiple locations, including developing regions and working across different cultures to train as well as mentor local and expat staff.” However, what WRS are seeing are some clear patterns in the type of barriers stopping individuals from making the transition to Oil & Gas from Mining.

1. Length of time within an industry

A professional who has spent their entire career servicing the mining industry will find it harder to make that transition than those who have actively done so at an earlier stage in their career.

2. Differences in safety regulations

Both Oil & Gas and Mining are relatively hazardous industries to operate in and have their own unique safety regulations. Would a company risk or invest time in retraining an experienced technical worker from another sector? Or would they opt for less experienced candidates or even new graduates who can be taught the correct safety parameters from scratch. WRS firmly believe that more experienced technical people from outside the Oil & Gas sector can make the transition but this scenario is something we have experienced.”

3. Professional Accreditation

“Professional associations within both Oil & Gas and Mining require ‘X’ amount of experience or a technical assessment before they can achieve professional accreditations. Is it realistic for a mining engineer, for example, to have the time to gain exposure in both sectors concurrently, without their current workload suffering? Memberships to accredited bodies can be the single difference which separates candidate ‘A’ from candidate ‘B’ when looking to transition from one industry to another.”

Jordan says there is one clear piece of common ground, “On the positive side, those looking to make the transition across this invisible barrier can offer familiarity with work and life style, as the differences between the two industries are minimal. For example, engineers are required to spend long periods away from home and often miss out on their family life, whilst the likelihood is they are also working in a remote location in tough environments.”
Finally what positions really are of value across both sectors?

“Non-operational positions are the most common and transcendent of markets. Fields such as Human Resources, Finance, Project Controls, Project Management, Procurement and Compliance definitely have transferable skills. Yes, aspects of these disciplines are industry specific but the underlying fundamentals hold the same principles, enabling individuals to make the move more effectively than say an industry specific “operation engineer” eg. A mining engineer or geologist.”

However there are some technically biased roles where Jordan sees transition across the two industries, “Due to the magnitude of money and size of the global Oil & Gas industry, I regularly see project managers from both sectors switching between the two. A company needs confidence that a professional can handle a project of a certain size/budget. The perpetual “stepping-up” to a bigger project can be achieved on both sides of the fence. We are seeing that project managers are highly sought after and have more flexibility on which industry they want to advance their skills.”

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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