EEEGR stages event to help students seeking offshore energy career

A new event to be staged near Norwich next month will smooth the path of students seeking careers in the booming offshore oil & gas and windpower industries.

The skills and training event on March 5th will launch the SNS2014 Conference and Exhibition staged by EEEGR (the East of England Energy Group) at the Norfolk Showground.

Its aim is to give students and lecturers first-hand advice so they can make well-informed decisions on higher and further education options leading to their chosen careers.

The Skills for Energy event will not only feature experts from the industry but from former students fresh from experience of college and university courses or apprenticeships.

Up to 100 students, lecturers and trainers are expected for the event which is led by Celia Anderson, EEEGR executive director. She said: “The energy industry urgently needs recruits for the future but we often hear from young people who want to join but struggle to find the best route to suit their needs and abilities.”

“Our event will tackle the issues at a very personal level both from the students’ point of view and from industry leaders. It’s about real life.”

Youngsters recruited through the pioneering Energy Skills Foundation Programme (ESFP) will be among guest speakers along with graduates from the University of East Anglia’s MSc Energy Engineering course.

Among industry speakers will be Patrick Phelan, Aquaterra Energy managing director, who will focus on graduates in the industry, and Scott McMillan, managing director of CLS Offshore, talking about apprenticeships.

“In the last few years, we’ve listened to what industry wants and to the needs and ambitions of potential students and I’m pleased we have set the right foundation for uniting those aspirations, both through education and workplace experience,” said Anderson. “This event is another vital step along that route.”

Many of the expected audience are already being sponsored but additional spaces are available to post-16 STEM educators, to be funded by the Education Training Foundation.