Careers in Oil and Gas: Rich with Potential

University of CalgaryMarch 2, 2012

Cheryl Knight, CEO & Executive DirectorPetroleum Human Resources Council of Canada

Presentation Outline

• About the Council• Workforce Composition• Overview of LMI• Careers in the Oil and Gas Industry

– Realities of Working in the Industry– Job Searching in the Industry

• Council Resources

Petroleum HR Council of Canada

The Petroleum HR Council benefits from industry and union support and advise within all sectors of the upstream petroleum industry in Canada:• Exploration and production;• Services industries – geophysical services, drilling and completions, and well

services;• Pipeline transmission;• Natural gas processing; and• Mining, extracting and upgrading heavy oil and bitumen.

The Petroleum HR Council addresses issues by:• Developing strategies, solutions, products and services to address industry’s short,

medium and long-term workforce issues;• Facilitating the exchange of ideas and information; and• Providing industry-related information on workforce issues and career opportunities.

Workforce Composition by Education Level – E&P and Oil Sands

Workforce Composition by Education Level - Services

Workforce Composition by Education Level - Pipeline

Petroleum Labour Market Information

• Labour Market Information (LMI) is any information about work including trends in the industry, detailed projections about how it will evolve in the coming years, where to find work, how much a job pays, who is hiring, where to find training and education for a job or even whether a career choice matches your personality and goals in life.– With the right LMI at the right time you can make better choices about a new job,

education options or a new career.• The Council develops and provides up-to-date labour market information (LMI) on

workforce trends, issues and projections in the short, medium and long-term (to 2020).

Occupations Included in LMI

Titles reflect National Occupational Classification (NOC)

Industry Outlook: Employment Projections to 2020

Services Sector Workforce Consideration

A healthy Services sector workforce is critical to the petroleum industry as a whole. Oil sands is increasing its reliance on the Services sector.

Current and Emerging Labour Shortages

The petroleum industry is already facing chronic shortages for certainoccupations:• Experienced engineers: exploitation completions, production, mining• Plant operators, steam engineers and power engineers• Maintenance trades• Production accountants• Field operators/specialists: slickline, snubbing, completions, Class 1 drivers• Rig crews (derrickhands in particular) • Environmental and regulatory specialists

New technologies and extraction methods have increased demand for:• Software technologists/developers• Geologists and engineers with knowledge of shale gas and oil reservoirs and well

stimulation and completions • Measurement while drilling (MWD) specialists • Completions specialists • Fracturing operators• Class 1 drivers/operators to get equipment and materials to the well site• Water and environmental management technicians and specialists• 1st, 2nd and 3rd class steam engineers

Industry’s Share of Labour Supply Pools

Historically, industry has not attracted its share of workers from all potential labour supply pools.

Core Occupations with Greatest Hiring Requirements in Growth Scenario

Realities of Working in the Industry

• Positions are 20% corporate, 80% field• Cyclical/seasonal work• Mobility/travel• Physically demanding• Outdoors• Varied career opportunities• Nearly 1 in every 6 workers in Alberta is employed directly or indirectly in the energy

sector

Job Search in the Oil and Gas Industry

• Companies are still predominately utilizing traditional recruitment methods– You have to market yourself. It is critical that you understand where and how

your international qualifications fit within industry and translate that experience in a way industry understands.

• Define your strategy for marketing and educating employers on:– “What you can do for them”– “Why you are a good fit”

• Take the time to really identify what kinds of positions and work environments are the best fit for you– Targeted approach vs. shotgun approach

Job Search in the Oil and Gas Industry (cont’d)

• Build your own job search network:– Try to identify someone who is working at your target company– Investigate who they talked to and how they got their job

• Contact the company directly:– Ask questions of recruiters; gather information on who makes the hiring decisions:

• Centralized vs. de-centralized– On-line posting.

• Investigate where they post their open positions:– Newspaper, web advertising, etc.

• Identify if there are search firm(s) that they use to hire for that occupation

• Identify other ways to connect with employers:– Mentoring programs– Networking events– Volunteer work

Resources

www.careersinoilandgas.com

• The website provides job seekers with all the information they need about working in Canada’s oil and gas industry

• On average the site welcomes almost 21,000 unique visitors every month

• New content and resources are being added daily, including Day in the Life career profiles highlighting real people with real jobs in the petroleum sector

• New job board launched on website– Job seekers can sign up for job seeker

notifications to be the first to know when relevant jobs are posted

www.careersinoilandgas.com

Other available information• Oil and gas locations• Salaries and benefits• Career opportunities• Resources for youth,

immigrants, women, aboriginals, career changers, educators and employers

• Education, training & safety:– Education options– Skills training– Safety training

Occupational Profiles and Summaries

Occupational Profiles – detailing the work, education and career paths for specific occupations in the petroleum industry.

Available on www.petrohrsc.ca

Occupational Summaries – providing a snapshot on work conditions, education, skills and minimum qualifications to get a career started in oil and gas.

Available on www.careersinoilandgas.com

Careers in Oil and Gas: Rich with Potential Guide for Practitioners

• An overview of Canada’s oil and gas industry

• Information on the careers available by job family, including:– The type of work– A listing of job titles– Related NOC codes– Education and certification

requirements– Working conditions– General characteristics and

attributes of work– References to learn more

www.petrohrsc.ca www.careersinoilandgas.com

For More Information

To sign up for our eNewsletter, send an email to newsletter@petrohrsc.ca

Follow us @careersinoandg

Like us www.facebook.com/careersinoilandgas