Students Show Interest in Subsea Sector on Subsea UK’s Event

Engineering students were given a slice of subsea action on Thursday, November 10 after Subsea UK held a pizza evening to highlight the industry’s career opportunities.

More than 70 students showed their interest in the subsea sector at the learning event which was held at Robert Gordon University.

Speakers from Technip Offshore Wind, Cutting Underwater Technology, GE Oil and Gas, Flexlife and Total highlighted the opportunities for graduates within the subsea sector as well as give advice and help arrange site visits for students to learn first-hand about what the industry has to offer.

Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK, said: “Meaningful collaboration between industry and academia is essential in the drive to train and mentor qualified people, and address the skills shortage that the subsea sector is currently facing.

“Facilitating learning evenings like these is a tangible way of interacting with students and informing them on the wide and diversified opportunities for them within the sector.”

All of the main engineering disciplines are required in the subsea industry and with the sector’s projected growth, thousands of career opportunities are anticipated in the near future. These range from jobs with the oil and gas majors and the main subsea contracting companies to smaller companies at the cutting edge of new technology development.

Mr Gordon added: “These young people are the future of subsea engineering and it is vital that we advise them of all the exciting prospects and technological advances within the vibrant subsea industry.”

Geoff Fisher, of Technip Offshore Wind, shared his experiences within the subsea sector with the students. He said: “As one of the largest employers in the UK, the subsea and renewables industry offers a wealth of opportunities to graduates who are currently entering the workplace in extremely difficult economic conditions. Operating on a global scale, this industry is moving from strength to strength and its future progression relies on the skills and talent of today’s graduates.

I thoroughly support the fruitful relationship between industry and universities such as RGU, and events such as this serve to educate today’s students about the abundance of opportunities there are for them in the subsea and renewables sector and help to harness the potential we have here in Aberdeen.”

Jamie Kirkwood, of Total E&P UK, discussed the importance of attracting graduates into the subsea industry: “As a graduate, I know how important it is for Total E&P UK to encourage students to join our industry and develop them as engineers. Total has many large projects underway in the UK including the Laggan-Tormore development West of Shetland and also West Franklin in the Central North Sea. All of these projects require new talent to ensure that we continue to have the skills to operate these fields and develop new fields well into the future.

“Total E&P UK offers an extensive 3 year programme for graduates in order for them to experience a wide range of departments related to their chosen discipline whilst developing them into the engineers of the future.”

Will Ritchie, careers consultant at RGU, said of the event: “This event clearly demonstrates the value that industry bodies like Subsea UK can have on connecting talented students from universities like RGU with their member organisations.

“It is key that Subsea UK alongside academic institutions promotes the growing wealth of opportunities the subsea sector provides and inspire career motivation and applications to meet its ever increasing and diverse recruitment needs.”

The RGU event is one in a series of nights being held for engineering students at universities across the UK conceived and organised by Subsea UK Operations Manager Trish Banks.

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Subsea World News Staff , November 16, 2011