New job match service for oil and gas industry launched at PACE employability event

A redundancy event for the oil and gas sector was boosted by the launch of a new online tool that aims to help workers find employment.
The Match People Skills service, www.matchpeopleskills.com, enhances the existing redundancy support being offered to the sector through the initiative, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE).

Developed by Energy Jobs Taskforce members, Wood Group, Aberdeen City Council and Skills Development Scotland, the service went live at the PACE event in Pittodrie Stadium today, 25 March 2015, which attracted over 850 workers looking to tap into the wide range of advice and support available to those impacted by uncertainties in the oil and gas sector.

Bob Keiller, CEO of Wood Group, said: “There’s a comprehensive package of support in place for those facing redundancy and this new service will further enhance that offering by supporting companies to transfer their people expertise though sharing with organisations that would benefit from the available skills.

“We are encouraging as many employers as possible to get involved and register on the site to make full use of the free service. Ultimately, we must protect our skills for the future of the industry and this service will help match the highly desirable skills of the industry with alternative employment in Scotland so that we can safeguard Scotland’s reputation as a global hub for oil and gas expertise.”

The Match People Skills service aims to further enhance the redundancy support available to help protect oil and gas industry skills and mitigate job losses or reduced hours through collaboration.

The simple online platform will help companies seeking to outplace their people during quieter times by matching skills with opportunities on a shared, temporary or permanent basis.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We are committed to working with industry to ensure that we have the skilled workforce in Scotland to strengthen our overall ambition as a major centre for energy activity.

“Scotland’s energy sector supports thousands of jobs around the country and is vital to our future economic growth and developing our infrastructure. It is therefore crucial that we ensure that our oil, gas and renewable companies are getting the right people into the right jobs. Wood Group's Match People Skills initiative is a fantastic resource for organisations to match the skills and recruitment vacancies with those best suited for the job.”

Today’s event brought the one-stop-shop PACE offer to life as visitors had access to advisers from a range of partnership organisations including Skills Development Scotland, the Money Advice Service and Department for Work and Pensions.
The event also follows the recent launch of an enhanced Adopt an Apprentice incentive that offer employers £5000 when they recruit an apprentice made redundant from the oil and gas sector.

Damien Yeates, chief executive of Skills Development Scotland and PACE Lead on the Energy Jobs Taskforce, said: “The launch of the Match People Skills site is a welcome addition to the range of redundancy support being offered through the national redundancy initiative, PACE.

“The PACE event in Aberdeen offered workers in the oil and gas sector the opportunity to meet face-to-face with employers and a range of PACE partners to access a wide range of support, from financial advice as well as career guidance.

“Through PACE we will continue to work directly with employers and individuals facing redundancy to ensure they receive the support they need when they need it most.”

Lena Wilson, chair of the Energy Jobs Taskforce and Scottish Enterprise chief executive added: “Scotland’s oil and gas industry is world renowned for its exceptional skills and experience and it is vital that those skills are safeguarded to maintain our globally competitive edge.
“The Match People Skills initiative is one of a number of exciting and innovative projects being delivered by the Energy Jobs Taskforce that will help us achieve that by providing an effective mechanism for matching individuals seeking alternative employment opportunities with those organisations with skills gaps and recruitment vacancies.”

The Energy Jobs Taskforce was formed in January this year to help tackle the challenges the oil and gas industry in facing which have been exacerbated by the fall in oil price.

The Match People Skills initiative is one of a number of actions coming out of the Energy Jobs Taskforce which aims to provide a co-ordinated response and package of support to retain and where possible grow, the level of employment, skills and talent, which is the foundation of Scotland’s internationally competitive energy industry.

The platform was designed by Altablue Ltd (A Wood Group Company, which provides resourcing to Wood Group and other companies in various industries)