On Wednesday 6th December, the All Party Parliamentary Group on the UK Oil Refining Sector, in partnership with the UK Petroleum Industry Association, welcomed a group of young oil industry ambassadors from across the country to discuss the future of industry within the wider context of a new industrial strategy for the UK.
This event was a unique opportunity to hear from the young people behind the UK’s downstream oil sector and to increase awareness of future career opportunities to encourage more young talent to choose science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects to drive innovation and energise the UK’s future. Looking ahead, the downstream oil sector is expected to continue powering the UK’s energy needs and mobility for many more years to come and will require the ingenuity, innovation and interest of the next generation of talent.
The event was chaired by Martin Vickers MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the UK Oil Refining Sector, and led by an expert panel made up of Professor Isobel Pollock-Hulf OBE, Visiting Professor, Engineering and Design, University of Leeds and Tony Burke, Assistant General Secretary, Unite the Union.
Martin Vickers MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the UK Oil Refining Sector commented: “Today’s event presented an ideal and timely opportunity to hear from the young people behind the downstream oil industry and discuss how we can inspire the next generation of talent and encourage more young women to choose STEM subjects. Equipping our young talent with the right skills for the future will be essential to keep pace with the expected growth in STEM-related employment and to meet current and future skills shortages in this important sector.”
Stephen Marcos Jones, UKPIA’s Director- General commented: “This Future of the Industry event represented an important opportunity to highlight the use of science, technology and innovation in our business and to explore the exciting careers that are on offer for young people in the UK’s downstream oil sector. I would like to thank the All Party Parliamentary Group on the UK Oil Refining Sector and all parliamentarians in attendance for giving us this platform to discuss the talent and skills necessary to fulfil tomorrow’s needs."
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Notes to Editors:
- The UK Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA) represents eight oil refining and marketing companies that operate the six major oil refineries in the UK and source over 85% of the transport fuels used. UKPIA members also own around 1,250 of the UK's 8,476 filling stations and support the employment of 88,100 people across the UK.
- The All Party Parliamentary Group on the UK Oil Refining Sector seeks to provide a forum for the discussion of issues relating to and impacting on the UK oil refining sector, the thousands of jobs that depend on it and the UK’s security of energy supply. Supported by UKPIA, the APPG on the UK Oil Refining Sector has an active programme of meetings with regular contributions from industry experts. For more details, click here.