Australia’s Energy Industry Doesn’t Just Need More People. It Needs More Competent People.
Across Australia’s energy sector, conversations about workforce shortages are becoming increasingly common. Drilling contractors, well servicing companies, operators and support services are all competing for people as activity continues to grow across Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
But perhaps the bigger challenge isn’t a shortage of people.
It’s a shortage of competent people.
For decades, the drilling industry has developed its workforce through a proven pathway. A Leasehand learns the fundamentals of rig operations and develops into a Floorman. As experience and responsibility increase, many progress to Motorman before advancing to Derrickhand. From there, the next step is often Driller, where technical knowledge, leadership and decision-making skills are tested every day.
These positions are not achieved through classroom learning alone. They are earned through exposure to real operations, practical application, problem solving and guidance from experienced industry professionals.
That is why workforce development in the drilling industry is different from many other sectors. It requires more than qualifications. It requires competence.
The challenge facing industry today is not simply attracting people into these career pathways. It is ensuring they are trained by professionals who understand the realities of the work, the expectations of the role and the standards required to operate safely and effectively.
In recent years, many organisations have entered the training market to meet industry demand. Qualifications are important. Compliance is important. Nationally recognised training is important.
However, drilling and well servicing operations require more than theory.
They require functionality.
Workers entering the industry need to understand not only what a procedure says, but why it exists. They need to understand how equipment is used, how crews communicate, how hazards develop and how decisions are made when conditions change. These are lessons that cannot always be learned from a textbook, a PowerPoint presentation or a simulation alone.
They are learned from people who have done the job.
At Australian Well Control Centre (AWCC), our foundations were built in industry long before we became a Registered Training Organisation. We did not start as an RTO and then learn about industry. We started in industry and built an RTO around the needs of industry.
That distinction matters.
It influences how training is designed, how practical activities are delivered and how knowledge is transferred to students. It means training is delivered by people who understand the difference between theory and functionality, between compliance and competence, and between knowing the answer and applying it in the field.
Our Turbo Program was developed specifically to help create industry-ready workers, not simply qualified workers. Likewise, our Drilling Operations qualifications focus on building the practical foundations required for long-term careers in the sector. For experienced personnel, our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) pathways recognise the competence gained through years of operational experience.
Australia’s energy industry has never succeeded by simply filling positions.
It succeeds by developing capable people.
As the industry looks to the future, workforce development should not be measured by how many certificates are issued. It should be measured by how many competent workers are created.
And there is a difference.
Leave a Reply