Engineering Employment Opportunities Scarce in Tough Times

Engineering Employment Opportunities Scarce in Tough Times
Western Australian Oil & Gas Group Chairman explains how engineers are managing an industry environment where job opportunities are scarce.

Smith added that he expected there would be a range of opportunities and positions for oil and gas engineers to pursue in WA.

“The oil and gas industry is going to exist for some time yet and even if it is with a lower oil price there will always be work. There’s always going to be challenges – even the challenges of producing oil more cheaply, continuing to do things safer and dealing with ageing assets – these are all engineering problems which we need innovative engineers to address,” Smith concluded.


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WHAT DO YOU THINK?


Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.

Richard A.Sukup,PE  |  August 10, 2016
Ive been in the engineering profession for over forty years-an honorable career. I see how executives protect themselves throughout the ups and downs at the expense of the intellectual expertise that created the goods and services. Its time the engineering academia wake up and realize engineering is a business and educate the young to demand from the employer the same perks and market flucuation protections afforded to MBAs. Get an employment contract!!! Get your professional engineers license!! Demand to be treated as a valued resource-not a commodity. Richard A.Sukup, PE, President. Magnolia Global Energy.
James Moody  |  August 06, 2016
The problem with what you described is this creates an economically unviable situation for engineers long term in the oil and gas industry. Companies basically are passing off their economic risk to their employees in a usually vain attempt to keep up stock prices. I really don see how the author can conclude his article by encouraging young people to go into oil and gas related engineering when there is obviously no future in it. He admits that engineering jobs have gone to China and India because of cost and are unlikely to come back. Although there may be a job available for a new graduate in a year or two the problem is 10 years down the road when there is another downturn the graduate will be out on the street this time with a family to support and bills to pay. Maybe an economically viable strategy is for engineers is to treat engineering jobs like bonds and demand risk premiums in salaries with oil and gas being considered junk bonds paying 4 to 5 times the going rate for more stable jobs.
Nicole  |  August 05, 2016
Why be an engineer when you get paid more as a tradie in Australia? Australia needs to place more value on intellectual skills.


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