The World Petroleum Congress is calling on the oil and gas industry to work harder at encouraging young people to seek careers in the sector.
The call comes after a poll, conducted at the Doha-based Congress, found that 57% of delegates belived that companies in the oil and gas industry need to demonstrate the benefits of a career in the sector to young people. However, the remaining 43% felt that companies are, in fact, making greater efforts to develop young talent to meet a potential skills shortage.
According to a spokesman from the pollsters, GL Noble Denton: "'There is a perception that younger generations have been lured away from a career in oil and gas by the finance sector over the past 20 years. The results of this poll show that the industry needs to review what it is doing to ensure that it attracts graduates equipped with the necessary skills to cope with the increasing challenges facing the sector."
The research was conducted at the event, which was attended by some 12,000 oil and gas industry delegates as well as online and was one of a series of Snapshot Polls conducted throughout the week-long Congress.