AVEVA has announced that more students in Houston will be able to enrol on its accredited energy plant design training and development programmes.

The group said that the extended availability of courses would address some of the key shortages in training witnessed in the US energy industry.

Rob Glasier, head of US operations for AVEVA, said that while a career in energy facilities design can prove lucrative, there is still a substantial shortfall in the number of workers in the sector.

"There simply is not enough skilled labour out there, which can delay owners and operators from moving forward with projects," he explained.

According to the group, there has been a 50 per cent drop in the number of engineering training courses dedicated to the petroleum industry.

In other developments, AVEVA has announced the opening of a new office in Rio de Janeiro to expand its operations in Latin America through the provision of training and development software for use in the energy industry.

Oil and Gas Directory: Training and Development.