A new UK-based company launched last month has set out to address the immediate and long-term skills needs of the global marine energy sector.
Headquartered in Cornwall in southwest England, UTM Consultants is dedicated to source and supply manpower solutions required to deliver complex ROV, survey, inspection, repair and maintenance projects to the oil and gas, renewable, hydrographic, marine, power and telecommunications sectors.
Richard Tozer, managing director and co-founder of UTM Consultants, used to run marine recruitment services company, GOSS Consultants before selling the business in 2013.
“Having left the business in 2013 following the sale of GOSS Consultants I have always kept an eye on what has been happening in the personnel supply industry. I have been surprised to see that no real or significant changes have occurred in the last four years and from what I have been hearing from people in the industry, contractors and clients were not as content as they should be with the current agency offerings,” Tozer says.
Tozer then decided to come back into the industry and set up UTM Consultants with co-founder Alex Meeks.
During the current recession in the offshore sector, Tozer has seen a reduction in manpower demand in general, however he says high quality, professional, respected contractors will always have a demand for their services and this is set to continue with rates increasing in time to where they should be for those high quality contract personnel.
Tozer reckons that the current main issues revolve around day rates being offered to highly qualified personnel.
“Historically the day rates do not reflect the level of skills, responsibility and commitment that people deserve. The pressures on service companies to continue to reduce the rates does not benefit the manpower supply chain who ultimately feel the effect and look at other areas of work,” Tozer says.
Tozer believes the timing is perfect to launch UTM with the increasing pressure on companies to reduce costs and increase efficiencies.
“The future of the industry relies on having the best people in the right jobs. Too many of today’s supply agencies are concentrating on the number of hires as opposed to the quality. Often recruiters fail to meet an employer’s exact role requirements as they don’t have the tools or the knowledge to match key competencies with high level labour demands,” Tozer maintains.
