The number of female candidates seeking job opportunities in oil and gas the industry has risen by almost 10 per cent globally in the past year, a report said.

In addition, salaries in the sector are predicted to rise by over 60 per cent this year in comparison with an expected rise of less than 20 per cent in 2010, added “The Global Oil & Gas Workforce Survey: Expectations for hires and pay rates in the oil and gas industry (H2) 2013” released by OilCareers.com, a worldwide oil and gas industry jobs portal.

The Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) institute has said that it is encouraged by recent figures released by OilCareers.com.

The charity, which campaigns to raise awareness of jobs within the STEM industries, has also reported recently that women currently make up just 13 per cent of the workforce within these traditionally male dominated disciplines.

WISE director, Helen Wollaston said: “It is great to read that there is an increase of female candidates registering their interest in oil and gas careers, and particularly that younger women are engaging with the industry. Most girls when they are at school don't realise how many exciting opportunities are available in oil and gas to those with the right qualifications.”


Further to this, hiring trends are also predicted to increase by more than 40 per cent suggesting that there has never been a better time to enter the oil and gas industry.

Wollaston added: “Creativity, communication and problem solving - which women tend to be good at - are critically important in science and engineering, not to mention the fact that you can earn good money. We need to get this message out to girls and to their parents and teachers”

OilCareers.com managing director Mark Guest said: “We welcome the comments from the WISE institute. All regions within the global energy sector are facing the same competition to attract the best talent, which is why we see a continued increase in predicted salaries across the board. Encouraging this trend and increasing the amount of women within the industry will be crucial if we are to close the chronic skills gap the industry faces.”

“Another positive trend is that the biggest number of registered female candidates falls in the age group of 23-32 years old, showing that young women are choosing to seek employment in the oil and gas sector. This is particularly important to allow existing skilled workers to pass on crucial knowledge that may otherwise be lost.”

“While these are all positive developments for the sector, there is still a lot of work to be done, with just over 20 per cent of women registering for traditionally male dominated roles including diving, drilling and engineering,” Guest said.

“This highlights the need for employers and industry bodies to continue to showcase the immense level of opportunity within the sector to the female population. Most importantly, this must be done as early as possible in an individual’s development, with added emphasis being placed on stem subjects such as science and maths for school pupils to ensure a constant flow of talent to the oil and gas sector,” he concluded. – TradeArabia News Service