#PowerUpYourCareer
Did you miss out on our webinars to help you #PowerUpYourCareer?
Don't worry, here's a round-up of they key information covered by our industry experts, with links to watch the webinar videos.
Getting that first foot in the offshore door
Atlas Professionals, who recruit for everything to do with offshore drilling and renewables, outlined ways to get into the offshore industry.
Atlas runs a greenhand programme for those new to offshore in preparation for the industry. They also recommend adding OPITO Offshore Emergency Response Team Member (OERTM) and/or OPITO Helideck Emergency Response Team Member (HERTM) certificates to make your CV stand out.
Mark McDonald from Atlas Professionals said: “80-90% of clients use roustabouts as the emergency response team so anyone looking to get their foot in the door as an offshore roustabout should consider emergency response tickets. Out of 110 people we’ve sent abroad 100 needed emergency response. For new industry starters I would also recommend online learning to which give you an insight into the sector.”
To find out more about boosting your CV with offshore firefighting training you can read our recent blog.
Scaffolding insight
The Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) has been the recognised scaffold training scheme for more than 40 years.
Managing director of CISRS and training director at NASC, David Mosley, gave us some of his invaluable industry insight and progression tips.
He said: “Scaffolding is a safety critical industry where training is extremely important to minimise dangerous situations and actions. Although there are an increasing number of women coming into the sector, it is still overwhelmingly male dominated.
“Scaffolding is an excellent career option. With an ageing workforce and a shortage of youngsters coming in, the scaffolding sector needs people to fill the skills’ gaps.
“There are 22,000 qualified scaffolders, but only half of these will reach advanced status. Undoubtedly the more qualified you are, the more opportunities you’ll get, as less trained individuals require supervision. Sector rates of pay can differ and some scaffolders go self-employed or set up their own businesses.
“For certain sectors, such as former military personnel, there may be funding available for scaffolding training or through CISRS own Kickstart programme which offers incentives.”
You can visit the NASC website for details on all of the larger scaffolding employers, or find out more about career progression in scaffolding in our recent blog.
Lifting careers
With 40,000 professionals across 60 countries, our client Wood is one of the world’s leading consulting and engineering companies.
AIS Training's instructor Steve, and Shaun Smith from Wood shared their knowledge of how to progress in rigger and/or banksman and slinger careers, and why it's essential.
What are the stages for a rigger or banksman and slinger?
Stage 1 – basic/initial training which doesn’t require any experience.
Stage 2 – logbook experience which involves completing 50 workplace tasks for rigging and 57 workplace tasks for banksman and slinger. The logbooks can be completed in as little as 50 days, depending on which skill you’ve decided on. However, its recommended you get as much training and experience as possible while you’re at stage 1. You don’t have to rush back after completing your logbook - after all you get two years out of your certificate so make the most of it and ensure you’re confident before completing your assessment.
Stage 3 – the assessment to validate you’ve met the criteria required.
Stage 4 – revalidation of stage 3, which must be completed every 2 years.
Why do Wood look for stage 3 and 4 candidates?
It’s not just Wood specifically who look for stage 3 and 4, it’s also clients and customers and depends on the required lifting procedures.
The offshore industry is a permitted industry, which demands more experienced people.
Personnel are often working in smaller teams so people need to be confident and sure of their ability to complete scopes of work on time. Teams with less experienced personnel are inhibited.
Are there any other routes into the industry?
It’s possible to go into rigging or banksman and slinger through the NVQ route - although you must have completed a vocational qualification within two years of applying for a role.
You don’t need to have started offshore to get your first offshore role as a rigger or banksman and slinger. You could have started in a different sector or as a roustabout moving sideways into a rigger or banskan and slinger role once you have experience.
The key things clients look for are candidates who are used to following guidelines and have a background in an industry with permitted systems, irrespective of if you’ve been offshore before.
Once you’re in the industry, you can also decide where you want to be on the drilling or production side of the role.
What other training do I need?
Wood has a pre-agreed set of minimum training for riggers and banksman and slingers which includes:
- OPITO Rigger Competence Assessment Stage 3/4 or OPITO Banksman and Slinger Competence Assessment Stage 3/4
- OPITO Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET) or OPITO Further Offshore Emergency Training (FOET)
- OPITO Minimum Industry Safety Training (MIST)
- OGUK Medical
- Working at Height Unit 2 (desirable but not a deal breaker if they don’t have it)
Being dual trained as a rigger and a banksman and slinger will also help you stand out from other applicants as it shows you’re pushing yourself forward by doing the extra training. It is also preferred by clients because it saves them hiring two people for two separate roles.
Is the work always seasonal?
Work usually takes place between March and September as that’s when offshore conditions are most favourable. However, the industry is looking to try and spread work out more evenly throughout the year to ease pressure.
Most work takes place during the TAR (turnaround) season – which is when assets stop producing to allow jobs to be done. This will be coming up shortly with the imminent forties pipeline shutdown. Clients will be looking to get as much work done as possible while they’re unable to produce.
What is the pay like?
At the moment the rate of pay depends on the client and the level of experience a candidate has. However, OGUK are currently working on the energy services agreement, which means everyone will be paid the same rate, regardless of who they work for. It won’t be mandatory, but most North Sea companies will sign up to it. It’ll involve 5 grades of pay which will be allocated depending upon experience.
