OEUK news

OEUK launches industry survey to help drive diversity and inclusion in offshore energy sector

29 July 2022

Dr Alix Thom, OEUK’s workforce engagement and skills manager

Leading trade body for the UK’s offshore energy industry, OEUK, has today launched a pivotal survey to help measure the diversity of its members’ workforce as it continues to drive greater diversity and inclusivity in the industry – which is essential to support energy security and the transition to greener energies.  

The new survey is focused on OEUK member companies and will aim to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the demographics of the workforce than has been previously available.  This will help inform industry, via OEUK, how to identify the actions required to improve representation of currently under-represented groups.

Dr Alix Thom, OEUK’s workforce engagement and skills manager, said:

“We are at a significant moment of change within our industry. As our world – and our members – turn their focus to the energy transition and achieving net zero, we have work to do to cement our role as a leader and enabler in the quest for a more sustainable future.

“Put simply, to get to that point, we cannot just do what we have done until now. Innovation, disruptive thinking, and brave decision-making will be essential to drive change and make net zero possible. Improving our collective diversity and, importantly, our commitment to greater inclusion are critical enablers of success.

“With that in mind, we are delighted to invite companies to participate in a survey to help establish an up-to-date picture of the demographics of our industry that is more sophisticated than our previous studies.  Only by understanding what our workforce looks like now can we benchmark against and learn from other sectors, as well as measure our progress.”

The anonymised and confidential survey, developed with support from OEUK’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Group, will remain open for 10 weeks and results are expected in Q4 2022.

Dr Thom added: “Our member participation is key to developing a clear picture of the demographics of the sector and the quality of the results will depend on a good response.

“It is recognised that many member companies do not currently collect all the information that the survey asks for and will have to collect it ahead of completing their submission; this has been reflected in the length of time the survey will remain open.”

ENDS


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