PM Network - December 2014

That makes it all the more vital to have good project managers in place, Mr. Andry says. “The core of what we do is find the balance between scope, costs and schedule,” he says. Not being able to fully staff a project adds time to the schedule—and cost to the budget. “We have to find that balance, then maintain the best project staff we can to achieve success.”

ENERGY

The global energy boom has increased demand for experienced engineers and project practitioners around the world—and that demand is outpacing supply. The sector faces both an aging workforce and fewer interested and qualified entry-level job seekers, as well as rapid technological advances that are changing skills requirements, according to a 2014 Manpower report on the energy workforce.

That’s forcing organizations to pay more to lure skilled talent from competitors. Approximately two-thirds of oil and gas companies intend to fill the talent void by buying talent from outside their organizations, and nearly half of these same employers intend to use poaching from competitors as their predominant source for new talent, according to a Mercer survey. The talent crunch is also forcing organizations to recruit globally for more projects, and to build stronger training and mentoring programs.

Because the energy sector laid off much of its workforce during the oil crash of the 1980s, there is a huge gap in the talent supply chain, says Patrick Allman-Ward, PhD, CEO of Dana Gas, one of

“The core of what we
do is find the balance
between scope, costs
and schedule. We
have to find that balance, then
maintain the best project staff
we can to achieve success.”

—Ted Andry, Kusile, Pretoria, South Africa

Growing Concern

CEOs around the world are worried that the talent shortage and lack of available skills will affect business. n Extremely concerned n Somewhat concerned n Not very concerned n Not at all concerned All CEOs Africa CEOs Asia Pacific CEOs Central and Eastern Europe CEOs Latin America CEOs Middle East CEOs North America CEOs Western Europe CEOs Source: Annual Global CEO Survey, PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2014