The oil and gas industry offers graduates the opportunity to shape the way that the world uses energy, Maersk Oil's Ali Korotana has insisted.

Speaking to the Times, the employee, who chose the energy industry over a job in the City because of its favourable travel opportunities and the geopolitical importance of the sector, said that many younger workers are highly environmentally conscious.

"The entry level jobs at a lot of oil service companies are very technical. Working for an operating company gives you a much broader perspective on the industry," he explained.

However, the industry provides extensive training opportunities that can result in a lot of crossover between operational, commercial and executive arms of both the upstream and downstream industry.

In support of young talent, Kazhakstan-based Maersk runs extensive training and development programmes for graduates to prepare them for work in diverse frontiers, which include the North Sea, offshore Brazil and Angola.

Oil and Gas Directory: Training and Development