Industry talks up digital appeal to attract young talent

摘要

Oil and gas companies are increasingly embracing the idea that digitising their operations could make the industry more attractive for much-needed young talent, on top of cutting their costs and boosting efficiency. Many companies have taken steps to try to be seen to be moving to a lowercarbon future. But high-profile environmental protests such as Greenpeace’s blockade of BP’s headquarters in May reinforce the more widespread view that the industry remains a leading cause of climate change. Its tarnished reputation only exacerbates the growing challenge of recruiting new talent. The oil sector lost hundreds of thousands of jobs to cost-cutting in the 2014-16 oil price downturn. But an ageing workforce will make those positions harder to fill as companies revive investment after resetting their cost structures. International organisation the Society of Petroleum Engineers had 84,000 professional members at the end of 2018, but 26pc of them were at least 55 years old. The average age of its members is 45, one of the highest of all industries.