The future of the oil and gas industry requires globally competitive talent. There will be a need for a new wave of energy experts to fill a visible and critical knowledge gap that is emerging as today's top decision makers step down and open the door to the next generation of energy leaders.
As noted, manpower is the key to success. Unfortunately, on a global scale, the inventory of available competencies does not always match industry's needs, and neither does the industry always match the needs of the inventory. This is an issue that the Canadian World Petroleum Council Youth Committee (CAWPC-YC) has taken head on. As part of our ongoing advocacy and research into the industry, the CAWPC-YC has initiated two exciting studies that provide a youth perspective on attracting and retaining your people.
In March 2010, the Alberta Student Energy Conference (ASEC) and the CAWPC-YC, hosted a workshop to engage youth in a discussion about the industry. The discussion focused on the current state and what young people expect from the energy sector. This research was targeted to potential employers to illustrate some of the issues that graduates will look for when they choose careers in the energy sector.
Secondly, In June 2011, in partnership with the 2011 GO-EXPO (Gas and Oil Expo 2011), the CAWPC-YC is conducting a case competition for students and young professionals in the oil and gas industry. The goal is to understand what motivates young leaders during the first few years of their careers. It's one thing to be able to get the top talent, it's another to keep it.
Detailed results and opinions of both these studies will be shared in a joint publication in Dec 2011.
