New international research has confirmed Scotland’s global position as a world-leading training ground for the oil and gas sector.
The Scottish Enterprise survey of senior global industry figures shows 74% believed Scotland was one of the world’s leading training grounds for the industry, with 71% agreeing Scottish employees are some of the most dependable in the sector.
The research looked at the views of more than 260 senior industry leaders from businesses employing approximately 2.2 million people across the globe.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “This poll comes at a time of change for the global energy sector.
“Turbulence in the oil markets is leading to some uncertainty about future work flows, but these results reinforce the value that Scottish businesses deliver to partners, particularly in deepwater and offshore exploration areas.
“More than two-thirds go further, endorsing Scotland as a provider of training and development opportunities.
“And a similar number also commend Scottish expertise as either important on a day-to-day basis, or essential in achieving a company’s overarching objectives.
“Decades of innovation, cultivated in the North Sea, are being deployed globally and transferred to new and emerging exploration and production locations around the world, including west Africa.”
David Rennie, head of the International Oil and Gas Sector at Scottish Enterprise, said: “This research quantifies what we’ve long known and heard that Scotland has a world-leading reputation when it comes to developing skills and experience in the oil and gas industry.
“The opportunity is therefore for Scotland to further build on the strengths we know we have when it comes to career development and progression, and use them to tap into more opportunities for both our people and our oil and gas supply chain at a global level.”
Melfort Campbell, chairman and chief executive of IMES Group and chairman of the Independent Expert Commission on Oil and Gas, said: “It is essential Scotland maintains its competitive edge in oil and gas. These new figures highlight the value that our supply chain continues to create, as well as identify a number of strategic opportunities and challenges that can be developed further.”