Talent Transition To Renewables

Many of the skills between the oil and gas and renewables sectors are highly transferable, indicating there is much opportunity for sector mobility within energy. Oil and gas professionals, in particular are showing strong interest to work in the renewables industry, which will of course be heavily influenced by the effects of the downturn.

There is, however, talk of a stigma against oil and gas professionals applying for renewables roles. This is widely attached to the perception that workers will leave the industry once the oil market returns, or become despondent with the lower salaries and differing company culture.

“Some oil and gas professionals think they are being discriminated against, but renewables companies are just nervous.”

“What they’re nervous about is whether these candidates are going to stick around, whether that’s because they don’t fit in culturally or they will eventually grow unhappy with the salaries on offer and go back to an oil and gas job when that market picks up again.”

Unfortunately, the downturn has generated a vicious cycle for oil and gas professionals looking to make the move into other sectors, where there is a lack of available jobs in their own industry, but their intentions are being widely mistrusted in the wider energy sectors.