New Oil Courses Address Industry Skills Shortage

May 2008

02 May 2008

RGU has launched two new courses specifically targeted at professionals in the oil and gas sector. The MSc in Subsea Engineering and MSc in Asset Integrity Management, which will both commence early 2008, have been developed in collaboration with businesses in the energy sector.

The introduction of these courses is timely with the oil industry currently experiencing a skills shortage that is threatening to jeopardise the future of the sector. Indeed, a growing number of oil-related companies are taking the initiative and turning to the Higher Education sector as part of the solution to invest and retain their existing staff.

RGU is no exception with an increasing number of oil-related companies looking for specialised training through the University's Energy Centre. Professor Mike Pittilo, Principal of RGU said, "The oil industry will be important to the UK and World economies for many years to come and for individuals there are still excellent career opportunities. Our goal is to attract and educate the next generation of energy industry professionals and ensure that companies get the highly-skilled work force that they require."

The MSc in Subsea Engineering is intended for professionals with some employment experience in the oil and gas industry who are seeking to progress or redirect their career by specialising in the subsea area. Technip, leading subsea engineering and construction contractor, has contributed an industry perspective by providing input to the course validation and will directly support the course by offering a student prize. The Asset Integrity Management course will provide and develop knowledge of systems, tools and techniques that when used collectively help to ensure the safety of people, minimise impact on the environment, and maintain the integrity and reliability of assets throughout their whole-life cycle in a holistic way to the financial benefit of organisations. Over 20 companies provided input to the development of the course. Wynand Hoogerbrugge, Director of RGU's Energy Centre said, "RGU has established an excellent reputation for producing industry-ready graduates. The two new courses in asset integrity management and subsea engineering have been tailored to address specific needs in the energy sector and produce graduates who are able to make an early impact on the performance of their companies."

Both courses will originally be delivered online to allow students flexibility in studying at a time and place that suits their circumstances. For further information on the MSc in Asset Integrity Management, please contact Heather Gordon on: tel 01224 262304 or email h.e.gordon@rgu.ac.uk.