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I am sick of hearing about labor supply problems in the hydrocarbon industry as it is a problem entirely of their own making. I was in the Industry for 12 years
by dabiged 4y ago
I am sick of hearing about labor supply problems in the hydrocarbon industry as it is a problem entirely of their own making. I was in the Industry for 12 years and in that time the industry laid off something like 40% of the workforce twice.
Half of my ex colleagues had to drive Uber to make ends meet for years. I remember a reservoir engineer walking down the main street in the oil city I worked in with a board saying "qualified petroleum engineer will work cheap".
I spent 4 years (and $$$) doing a master's of petroleum engineering whilst working full time. None of the 40 odd students I went through the degree with got jobs due to an industry downturn and all left the industry. We happened to graduate during a low oil price period. Too bad. So sad. 4 year degree down the drain.
This affliction of no staff happens every boom, and the mass layoffs and industry exodus happens every bust. If the industry actually planned for this cyclical nature by avoiding overexpansion in good times and reducing mass layoffs in bad times this wouldn't be an issue.
- tedmiston 4y ago> If the industry actually planned for this cyclical nature by avoiding overexpansion in good times and reducing mass layoffs in bad times this wouldn't be an issue. I think that advice holds surprisingly well for most startups too. If only they followed it.
- _moof 4y agoSounds like the airlines. Before the pandemic there was a serious pilot shortage. Then COVID-19 happened and they started laying people off. Now American is talking about a shortage again - I literally know pilots that American laid off last year!
- civilized 4y agoBut do they need the personnel to produce? Maybe they just believe in making hay while the sun shines?
- mempko 4y agoYeah, it sucks but the industry has no future. We need to get off fossil fuels because it's causing global heating.
- dehrmann 4y agoOil in the US has always been very boom and bust. I know for roughnecks the deal is they get paid very well for lousy hours and the boom and bust cycle. Not sure what it looks like for engineers.
- usrn 4y agoSounds like Honeywell: >We're pivoting to software proceeds to furlough the engineers every winter >Why does everyone with skills keep leaving?