Oil and Gas Industry Struggling to Keep Pace with Accelerating Global Business to Meet and Strategise at IQPC Capability Event

London, United Kingdom, January 10, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Capability and competency development specialists in the global oil and gas industry are claiming that the accelerating demands of their business are leading to a lack of qualified, competent staff to man these projects, according to research carried out by industry information provider oilandgasiq.com.

According to Gareth Pearce, Global Online Director for Oil & Gas IQ, human resources departments are currently under extreme pressure: ‘Particularly in the emerging markets, company after company has been telling us that they are faced with three alternatives: accelerate capability development, slow business growth, or compromise safety.”

Following indications from the head of the Presidential commission investigating the Macondo disaster which blamed ‘breathtakingly inept’ safety practices for the tragedy, these findings will cause alarm as observers question what compromises will be required to keep pace with rapid expansion.

“Whilst no one wants safety lapses, being responsible for holding up business growth is equally unpalatable. The challenge is that increasing the delivery of qualified people to the business is costly, complex and takes time”, Pearce added.

In at attempt to respond to this challenge, some human resources players in the oil and gas business have adopted a novel approach.

Proactive companies such as BP, Transocean, Shell, Schlumberger and Saudi Aramco are launching an online capability community at http://www.capabilitydevelopmentonline.com to share best practice from all corners of the globe, culminating in an event – the Oil & Gas Capability Summit 2011, which will provide a common solution for the wider industry.

Pearce concluded: “The appetite for knowledge sharing is great. Only by taking a collaborative approach can this problem be solved. It’s a long journey, but this initiative represents a good start.”

To further develop these ideas and build on current strategy, key members of the industry are to present learnings at the IQPC / Oil & Gas IQ Capability Summit.

The Oil & Gas Capability Development Summit 2011 will take place exclusively online between March 14 and April 6 – visit www.oilandgasiq.com for more information.

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If you'd like more information about this subject, or to schedule an interview with Gareth Pearce or any of the capability leaders taking part in the online event, please call Sumit Dutta at +44 207 368 9706 or e-mail Sumit at sumit.dutta@iqpc.co.uk