Dräger, an international oil and gas safety industry leader, is backing SPE Offshore Europe’s theme for 2015 to ensure the next generation of industry innovators move into the oil and gas sector.
With skills on the show’s agenda, Michail Tzouvelekis, regional segment manager for Oil & Gas at Dräger, said it was imperative that more young people were aware of the long-term prospects within the offshore industry.
According to the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook, oil and gas will still supply about half of the world’s energy in 2040. So despite today’s challenges due to the low oil price, oil and gas will continue to be an indispendable energy source for many decades to come.
Mr Tzouvelekis, said: “In order to inspire more young people into the sector, it’s vital to remind them that energy is at the heart of everything they do, and it still powers the world even in this digital age.
“With older engineers who have worked in the industry since the early days of North Sea exploration and production approaching retirement age and fewer engineering graduates now coming through from UK universities, it’s essential that oil and gas companies look to inform students on the benefits of joining our industry, and help them become passionate about technical matters such as advanced gas detection.
“Young people are the future of our industry so we need to encourage and help them to learn more about the sector. Events such as Offshore Europe are hugely important to us because they offer us a platform to engage with young people thinking of coming into the industry face-to-face and it gives them an opportunity to ask us questions.
“We need to attract the right people with the right skills to ensure we have a sustainable pipeline of leaders for the future, and communication with those young people is critical if we are to build on our experience in the North Sea and continue to be a global success story.
He added: “Ongoing technical competency training cannot be compromised, as it will keep workers ahead of the curve on issues such as hazardous gases present onsite, limitations of equipment and sensor technology, calibration and maintenance and instrument review. Ultimately this will help avoid shutdowns and ensure workers can carry out inspections faster, among other things.
"At Dräger Marine and Offshore, safety is our passion and our instructors can educate workers on how to don, use and maintain our products whether they are based in the UK, the Netherlands, Norway or Denmark. We also deliver industry standard courses, as we are an OPITO approved training provider.
"With our comprehensive solution offering as product manufacturer, vendor and service provider, our customers in the oil and gas industry can benefit from having a single interface for all their safety requirements."
To find out more about Dräger’s work in the oil and gas sector, visit www.draeger.com/oilgasuk.