OilCareers.com, an international jobsite for the oil and gas industry, expects that in light of recent developments in Libya it will not be long before confidence returns to the region and it starts producing once again.

This would have a dramatic impact on the Libyan jobs market, as skilled workers will be in high demand. This a major shift from earlier in the year when OilCareers.com witnessed a drastic decline in visits from the country.

In April 2010, 4,149 visits were recorded, however in April of this year there were only 13.

While this in part will be due to the regime cutting off Libya’s Internet connection, OilCareers.com noted a 75 per cent drop in jobs posted in the region for the first half of 2011, compared to the same time the previous year.

With sanctions lifted on oil companies and port authorities, the first people likely to return will be maintenance inspection and other engineers to assess any damage to infrastructure. That said, employers must provide strong security to support them and ensure their safety at all times, according to a statement from the job site.

“To see such a drop in visits over the space of only one year is extraordinary though not surprising considering the situation,” said Mark Guest, managing director for OilCareers.com.

“While it is perhaps a little early to see interest in the region return to the pre-conflict levels, we expect over the next few months confidence will rise and job seekers will once again start considering Libya as a destination for their next career move. This will be matched with demand from employers to bolster local workforces.”

Despite the impact of world events, OilCareers.com continues to receive record visits to the site, with more than one million page visits in a month for the first time since its inception, while also achieving in excess of 600,000 unique users in July.

New vacancies posted in the first six months of 2011 were 50 per cent higher than for the same period in 2010. Job applications in June 2011 were 66 per cent higher than in June 2010, increasing from 80,232 to 133,586.

Currently, demand for engineers in the industry is at its highest with 71,347 positions posted on OilCareers.com so far this year. In total, the site has 440,000 candidates specifying engineering as a core capability.

“Throughout the summer visits, registrations and applications to OilCareers.com have increased,” said Guest. “This is extremely positive, particularly considering the unrest in the Middle East and the impact of unprecedented global events on oil and gas production.

“The UK remains a hotbed of talent, but we have to focus on encouraging new recruits into the sector and ensuring that they are supported to enhance their development.

Without this we are in danger of losing vital knowledge through retirement, or those opting to pursue their careers in different parts of the world,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service