Branding and improving the image of the oil and gas industry can go a long way in attracting the next generation of engineers, a leading industry expert said.

According to Bahrain Society of Engineers (BSE) president Abdul Majeed Al Gassab, given that the region is growing at an unpredicted rate, the shortage of professional engineers in the industry is a serious concern.

Speaking to the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication, on the sidelines of the 18th Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference (MEOS 2013), Al Gassab cited a recent report to state that there are currently more than $300 billion of projects on the books (not all approved) for the industry in the Middle East.

"This is a phenomenal amount of work, and engineers will form the backbone of any project to design, build or operate such facilities," he stated.

"Whether all these projects come to fruition or not will only be known with time, but manpower resources may become as limiting a factor as capital investment."

Earlier in a keynote speech at the SPE Talent & Retention Workshop, Al Gassab said there were two aspects to the manpower shortage - attraction and retention of talent.

"There is an acute shortage of high calibre and experienced engineers in the region. Demand is much higher than supply. Hence, when we are able to attract or groom talent, we must be able to keep it," noted Al Gassab.

"But with the massive industrial growth we are seeing, and the mega projects in our region, there is a huge demand for skilled and motivated resources, and there are very competitive forces at play. Historical company loyalty is no longer a given, and we must work harder at convincing staff and graduates that our companies are 'of choice'," he added.-TradeArabia News Service