THE OIL AND GAS LABOUR MARKET — AN OVERVIEW

Abstract

Over the past four years the Australian Oil and Gas Exploration Industry has moved from a period of high exploration and development, skill shortages and overseas recruitment, through to a period of declining levels of exploration activity and expenditure, low world prices and significant retrenchments.

A number of manpower and training aspects of industry development and decline over the period 1980 through to 1987 are discussed.

The paper reviews and examines aspects of the Australian oil and gas work force and labour market. It brings into sharp focus a number of critical training and professional development issues facing the industry today. It proposes a review and rationalisation of academic programs for geoscientists and planning for future manpower requirements for the industry.