The "unprecedented" industry environment currently being experienced by oilfield services companies is forcing a change in strategy, experts claim.

In a guest editorial for the Journal of Petroleum Technology, Don Painter and Debra Grandjean from Ernst & Young noted that locating and training a talented workforce is one of the long term strategies that oilfield services companies must employ in order to remain successful.

Aside from training, further product and technology innovation is also required, the experts say.

The development of local and regional talent is central to effective risk management, they said. "As the sector's workforce becomes more diverse, companies are recruiting and training people at all levels to work in their home countries, and developing programs with many local universities to recruit and train local talent."

But as a new workforce is created, training and development needs will also increase, they add, noting that today's oilfield service companies must adopt a long-term training strategy in order to succeed.

Indeed, aside from the downturn, the risks posed by an ageing workforce also need to be addressed. A professor at the Schulich School of Engineering, Raj Mehta, recently told Canada's Calgary Herald that despite the current downturn, the industry is aware of the dangers of scaling back on training new talent.

Oil and Gas Directory: Training and Development