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job vacancies in natural resources and the environment The UK’s energy and utilities sector comprises the oil, gas and petroleum, and also nuclear power, coal, renewable energies, waste management and water industries. The UK’s oil and gas industry has been self-sufficient since 1980. It is expected to remain self-sufficient in oil until approximately 2016, and in gas until well into this century. However, the UK’s oil reserves are declining (Cogent: The Sector Skills Council for Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Nuclear, Oil and Gas, Petroleum and Polymers). Ads by Google The petroleum industry consists of more than 200 companies refining, distributing and marketing petroleum, including large multinational oil companies, supermarkets, retailers and rural filling stations. The nuclear industry employs over 50,000 people in the UK. Nuclear power provides about 22% of the UK’s electricity. Approximately 15,000 well-trained, highly skilled people operate and decommission nuclear power stations in the UK. The industry needs 9,000 graduates over the next decade to maintain existing operations. There will be a further need for scientists and engineers due to the approval for a new generation of nuclear power stations (Cogent: The Sector Skills Council for Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Nuclear, Oil and Gas, Petroleum and Polymers). The UK’s coal industry employs around 5,600 people, the majority of whom work in England. Nearly 80% of all coal is burnt for electricity production, and 34% of all electricity generated in the UK comes from coal (The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). "Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and bio fuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources." International Energy Agency About 5,500 people in the UK work in this new industry, with employment steadily increasing (London Energy Partnership). The UK waste management industry employs around 141,000 people, dealing with approximately 100 million tonnes of waste generated annually from households, industry and commerce. (Open University Household Waste Study on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The water industry in the UK collects, treats and supplies over 16 billion litres of high quality water to domestic and commercial customers, then collects and treats over 10 billion litres of wastewaters (Water UK). Approximately 160,000 people work in water and associated fields. Currently there is a shortage of skilled workers such as modellers, planners, environmentalists, ecologists and operational engineers (Technology Innovation Centre, Birmingham City University). What kind of work can I do?All of the energy and utilities industries need highly technical and professional workers, from specialist engineers to supporting business functions. There is a need for engineers, geologists, ecologists, environmentalists, planners, modellers, operational engineers, research scientists and consultants. The oil industry employs specialists in exploration, drilling, transporting. In addition, there are support roles in selling, marketing, human resources management, accountancy and IT. Graduate roles may be found through regulatory bodies and government departments, and also in specialist magazines and industry journals. What’s it like working in this sector?While some jobs in the off-shore field may be in remote and isolated locations, other jobs may be in head offices. Staff turnover is relatively low. Job roles adapt constantly to many changes and developments through legislation, political and environmental issues and technological advances. Engineering and technical specialists may have unsocial hours, including shifts (12 hours on oil rigs) and weekend work, whereas workers in the supporting functions enjoy more regular hours. Some work can be dangerous and health and safety awareness is imperative. Currently there is an imbalance in terms of gender, age, and ethnic minorities in the energies and utilities industry. How big is this sector?The sector itself is gigantic and fragmented into various specialist industries, with some industries very large (e.g. oil and gas, water, waste management) and others much smaller (e.g. coal, renewable energy). See individual industry introductions for details. Where can I work?UK oil comes mainly from the North Sea and off the coasts of Aberdeen, Suffolk, Norfolk, Liverpool and Morecambe Bay. As the UK is acknowledged for expertise in the area of deep-water technology, specialists are in demand all over the world. Oil exploration takes place in many other remote areas of the globe. Most oil and gas companies are global businesses. Jobs in the UK’s utility industry and the Environment Agency (EA) tend to be primarily based in the UK, within many regional offices. Some roles involve a lot of travel (e.g. nuclear research scientist collaborating with other scientists all over the world). For information about working in specific countries, see country-specific information. |
