22 Oct 2020
New WA portal unlocks opportunities in oil and gas sector
APPEA has welcomed a new Jobs and Skills WA portal designed to increase awareness of the exciting roles, skills and career opportunities in Australia’s oil and gas sector.
Launched today at the SkillsWest Careers and Employment Expo by Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan, the Working in WA’s Resources Sector website will provide information on the specific skills and training requirements needed for working in the resources industry.
APPEA WA Director Claire Wilkinson said the webpage would be a useful resource for people looking for new employment and training opportunities in the oil and gas sector.
“We congratulate the Premier and WA Government for this important initiative that will increase awareness of the roles and opportunities in oil and gas and the relevant training required,” Ms Wilkinson said.
“Oil and gas will be part of WA’s economic fabric well into the future, just as it has supported our way of life in recent decades. We will need people with skills relevant to the oil and gas sector for years to come, and it would be great if we could employ these people from within WA.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted skills shortages in the state where we need to operate and maintain oil and gas facilities and keep essential energy supplies flowing to homes and businesses.
“We have noticed particular skills shortages in operations including marine, electrical and mechanical as well as plant operator and maintenance skills, so training in these areas could provide good opportunities for Western Australians to work in our sector.
“WA is blessed with natural gas reserves, and responsible development of these resources – both onshore and offshore – will provide lower emission baseload power and continue to form part of WA’s energy mix into the future.
“Gas will also be crucial to supporting development of new energy technologies such as solar, wind and hydrogen and providing baseload energy when the wind does not blow or the sun does not shine.”
Ms Wilkinson said APPEA looked forward to working with Government and other industry stakeholders to ensure as many Western Australians as possible can work in the industry where the safety of its workforce, the environment and local communities is paramount.