Employing the next generation of offshore energy workers

10 August 2021

The rapidly growing requirement for Roustabouts in the North Sea offers a world of opportunity for those who want to enter the energy industry, recruitment company Atlas Professionals (Atlas) reports.   

In the middle of May Atlas’ Aberdeen office re-opened applications for its successful Greenhand Roustabout Programme. Prior to the impact of Covid on the industry Atlas successfully identified, trained and mobilised over 100 new entrants to the offshore industry over a two-year period. As the world has begun to learn to live with Covid, so too has the offshore industry, and this can be seen in the increased activity in the North Sea market.  

Attracting new talent 

The increased activity has led to an increase in demand for skilled offshore workers. Due to recent downturns the industry has seen some workers leave the industry and not return, which has created an opportunity for the next generation of offshore workers. In response to this Atlas has restarted their successful Greenhand Roustabout Programme. 

During a bespoke training and assessment day, the company provides training on key offshore safety processes that are essential for new workers to the industry and discusses important information about what offshore employers are looking for. In addition to this, the company offers advice on training requirements and undertakes an interview and assessment as part of the rigorous process.

After the initial recruitment phase in May, over 50 Greenhands participated in the Greenhand Programme. Out of the 35 that were successful during the assessment section, more than 80% have already completed the training required, and are all now working for Atlas offshore for their various clients. Because of the continued demand for Atlas Greenhands, the company took the decision to continue with further courses in August and September.  

Career perspective 

Laura Murphy, Deputy Team Leader at Atlas comments on the success of the Greenhand Programme: “The high uptake of our trained and assessed Greenhands by our clients in a relatively short space of time proves that our training programme is robust and much in demand. And thanks to our clients’ trust we are able to give the opportunity to start offshore careers and make a difference to many people’s lives. Many more candidates have booked the training required and we’re hopeful we will secure them work within weeks of being ready to mobilise.”

As a Roustabout plenty of career opportunities lie ahead for those starting their careers now. Atlas have a variety of opportunities across a vast array of clients available. “Once you have enough experience, there are opportunities to work on the Drill Floor as a Roughneck, or train as a Crane Operator amongst other job roles. From there, there is a complete career ahead with lots of opportunities for progression,” said Murphy.

Anyone living in the UK interested in going offshore as a greenhand roustabout as part of the programme can register their interest here.