OTC 2018: Attracting and Managing Young Talent in Oil, Gas

The oil and gas industry’s next wave of workers are ready to step into roles and effect change.

That’s how representatives from Lloyd’s Register feel about Gen Z. And they aren’t too worried about companies like Google and Amazon stealing the affections of these workers.

“Oil and gas has always been able to attract great talent,” Clinton Abbate, senior business analyst for Lloyd’s Register, told Rigzone during the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston. Looking at those companies, “you’d be led to believe we need to be giving people computers, T-shirts and all kinds of branding on day one.”

Instead, Abbate feels the importance of oil and gas in a global economy is an attractor in and of itself.

“I think people want to be a part of that and contribute to the global energy mix,” he said. “Because of the consequences of failure in our industry, technical-minded people take that seriously and understand the importance of what they can bring to the industry from a safety perspective.”

And they’re excited to work with emerging technologies in the field.

“In order to fill the gap with new entrants into the market, we’re going to need to utilize more training to get them ready faster,” said Teril Smith, director of energy operations for Lloyd’s Register. “You see a lot of the drilling contractors doing a lot of heavy simulation now and they have built-in scenarios that are much more real life. It tests these young entrants and really makes them feel like they’re offshore.”

I think it fast tracks a lot of what we’re seeing today, he said, adding that the new entrants like being taught on a level they enjoy and feel comfortable with rather than only theory-based.

Smith spoke of a recent visit by high school juniors and seniors to Lloyd’s Register training center.

The training manager who deals with virtual reality (VR) technology talked about the people he’s seen come through our program and how it takes quite a bit of time for them to get it and when they do, it’s off to the races.

“He said the seniors picked it up and within two minutes they literally had it figured out and had to give them a tutorial,” Smith said. “He said he’s never seen anything like it. That’s what we’re dealing with. That’s [the type of talent] coming in.”

Abbate said he’s been met with more open minds and a larger appetite for technology among clients.

“When you look at the industry’s obligation to manage cost and stay viable for the long-term, technology is that differentiator,” he said.