Canadian Oil Sands

By Graeme Edge, General Manager, Canada, Maxwell Drummond

Canada’s energy industry is threatened by the global crunch for talent. A recent report by the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada (PHRCC) stated that the Canadian oil and gas industry needs to fill at least 9,500 jobs by 2015. The country is already short when it comes to the number of qualified workers needed to keep growth plans on track, and workforce requirements in the oil sands sector of Alberta will continue to rise as projects continue to come to fruition.

 

According to the PHRCC’s report, Alberta’s oil sands employment is expected to jump by 29% from the 2011. This sector requires a workforce with a variety of skills; environmental engineers are needed in the planning phases, projects under construction require project managers and engineers. Skilled trade workers in construction, manufacturing, transportation and service industry are also in high demand.

 

Thankfully, the Canadian government has recognized that these deficits cannot be filled within the region and measures need to be taken to bring in skilled personnel internationally. Traditionally, the Canadian immigration policy has made it difficult for companies to navigate through the red tape involved in hiring cross-borders. The Canadian Federal Government has announced that its 2012 budget allows reform to immigration programs to better align them with the country’s labor needs. Proposed reforms include modernizing the selection process under the Federal Skilled Worker applications to better reflect the need for younger immigrants with Canadian work experience, creating a new Federal Skilled Trades program and modifying the Canadian Experience Class to better facilitate the transition to permanent residence by skilled temporary workers.

 

Not only does Canadian immigration policy need adjustment but increased collaboration is required to close the knowledge gap between the younger generation of talent and the experienced management preparing for retirement. Talent development is a critical component to all human resources agendas but an even greater importance needs to be stressed in regions where a talent crisis already exist. Companies must implement continual training, not just for new hires, but for more experienced individuals who have the potential to take on leadership and managerial roles. Companies and the industry alike must collaborate with the Canadian government to establish training institutions and ensure clarification on regulations, application procedures and accreditation. Further collaboration is necessary between recruitment departments and outsourced recruitment specialists to identify international talent and attract these individuals to the country.

 

About the author
Graeme Edge joined Maxwell Drummond in 2007 as a Senior Consultant in our Calgary office. In 2011 Graeme was promoted to General Manager, Canada. Graeme has worked in most sectors of the upstream oil and gas industry including major independent operators, EPC contractors, oilfield service companies, subsea and the SME technology sector.

Maxwell Drummond International is a world leading retained search consultancy offering professional search services to clients in all sectors of the energy and natural resources industries.