Things are Looking up for Women in the Energy Industry

It is no surprise that Newfoundland and Labrador have seen a significant increase in the number of men and women entering the oil and gas sectors. The number of mega projects happening in the mining, electricity, and oil and gas sectors makes the province the envy of Canada and the world.

While this is great news for the province and the sector, the numbers also point to a familiar issue — just 18% of the total global workforce is made up of women.

A recent study on the employment gap in this sector was conducted by NES Global Talent in 2014. The resulting report, titled “Attracting and Retaining Women in Oil and Gas Engineering – A Survey Examining the Gender Talent Gap”, offers some interesting and useful statistics:

• 75% of women feel welcome working in the oil and gas industry
• 45% of women surveyed did not believe that they receive the same recognition as men in the field
• 95% of women believe mentors are important for career advancement but 42% said they were neither a mentor nor a mentee

These numbers are telling. And, Rebecca Ridley, Associate Director – UK Client Development at NES Global Talent, agrees, “Many respondents said they are paid less, have fewer opportunities than their male counterparts and have to work harder than men to prove themselves. There are clear improvements to be made if the oil and gas sector is to attract a larger number of female engineers in the future.”

However, there is good news: the industry has been paying attention and is working hard to reduce the gender gap. The oil and gas sector recognizes the strengths women bring to their operations and is making significant improvements.

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the first quarter of 2013, nearly half (46%) of all new jobs in the oil industry went to women. And this trend seems to be gaining steam. In a joint ‘2013 Global Diversity and Inclusion Report’ with Rigzone, BP indicated that its goal is to have women make up 25% of their workforce by 2020 (compared to 9% in 2000). Things are looking up.

Exactly how is the industry attracting more women? Averil Macdonald, Professor of Science Engagement at Reading University, states that creative recruitment techniques executed with women in mind help with attraction, “Oil and gas sector companies should focus on engaging with young women both at school and at university, providing role models and an opportunity to see for themselves what the sector has to offer through visits and paid internships.”

Many companies in the industry have thorough and far reaching diversity plans that are proving effective. Husky Energy’s 2012 Diversity Report (submitted to the C-NLOPB in May 2013) for the White Rose project reveals some impressive figures: in 2012, 32% of professional positions were held by women and 44% of students were women; between 2011 and 2012 the percentage of women in management positions doubled to 29%, and the number of female engineers increased from 18% to 25%.

As a lawyer who specializes in oil and gas matters, I have had the opportunity to witness these changes first hand. 15 years ago, I rode the elevators with a majority of male engineers and executives. Now, I am frequently joined by professional women who confidently work in the industry.

My oil and gas clients are a diverse and talented group of senior managers and legal counsel who also happen to be women. The meetings I attend deal with complex matters and negotiations and are frequently led by women.

The change is significant and encouraging. While there is still work to be done, the industry deserves to be commended for the great strides it has made.

Stephanie Hickman is a partner in the St. John’s office of Cox & Palmer. She can be reached at shickman@coxandpalmer.com