The head of Saudi Aramco said a skills shortage is holding back growth in the energy industry.
Khalid al-Falih, Aramco president and CEO (pictured above), was speaking during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.
He said the problem was widespread in the oil and gas industry, Al Arabiya New said.
“Here is an industry that is growing, that is very profitable… and more often than not companies in our industry are constrained by growth because of a lack of skilled human resources, while they are living or working in countries where there is high unemployment,” he said. “The issue of a mismatch… is real.”
Al-Falih said Aramco is funding vocational training centers and bringing in highly skilled trainers.
This month, Saudi Aramco kicked off its annual International Talent Quest that runs through mid-March. It is aimed at attracting talent through presentations and interviews with managers at its Aramco Services Company in Houston.
“The majority of interviews will take place in the month of February. The combination of growth; global research and development expansion; strategic alliances; and mega projects both onshore and offshore makes this an ideal time to learn more about the company and the benefits of an expatriate lifestyle,” according to Ghassan Al-Suwayied, an industrialization manager at Aramco Services Company.
Aramco is headquartered in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The fully integrated oil and gas giant has about 55,000 employees.
View dozens of current openings at Aramco at OPA Jobs by clicking here.
