Clyde Marine Recruitment has witnessed a significant change in Offshore Support Vessel recruitment over the past year due to the continuing low oil price. Forecasts for 2016 continue to be pessimistic and the outlook bleak. Nobody saw such a deep and quick decline and the future is very difficult to predict. With current geo-political issues ever present in the news, we may see a shock change should something unexpected happen which may see a dramatic change in the depressed market. With many of the West European OSV officers and ratings displaced by virtue of the weak market, opportunities may open up for them in other regions as wage levels take a long-overdue correction. We continue to try and assist officers and ratings as best we can – other markets such a roro have been performing better – and we continue to see significant demand for senior engineering officers with suitable experience. Candidates may need to look at a change in sector given the market issues.

Figures prior to 2014 indicated a shortage of suitably experienced candidates for active marine jobs in the North Sea, yet moving into 2016 we will see an oversupply of highly skilled seafarers in almost all ranks. Marine is not alone and is bearing better when compared to other Oil related activities. A sector hard hit is drilling and exploration. A partner of CMR, Drillmar Resources, who provide mostly Drill crews worldwide, have been actively assisting the displaced offshore drilling workforce since early 2015 with a number of free seminars to aid personnel during these difficult employment market conditions. Drillmar were keen to do their part to ensure that those affected are supported with the resources required to increase future career prospects in the hope they will remain and return to the industry.

Clyde Marine Recruitment are doing their best to offer mariners, who are less-sector dependent, alternative opportunities as they become available.