Though expatriates still fill about 42% of offshore roles, only 78% of professionals would consider relocating to another country for their job. This compares to 2022 when 89% of all oil and gas professionals would consider relocating.

The broader political environment has many professionals favoring stability and familiarity over international assignments. 

Roles in engineering and technical operations, along with maintenance and inspection, have become particularly difficult to fill.

A loss of tribal knowledge looms

Another challenge facing future and existing offshore basins alike is an aging workforce.

Those over age 45 comprise nearly half (48%) of the workforce, with less than 2% aged 24 or under.

Although, in some respects, an older workforce has its advantages. Experienced professionals bring a wealth of tacit knowledge, field judgement and practical troubleshooting know-how. But their looming retirement also brings the risk of losing "tribal knowledge"—a risk that some are already seeing turn into reality.

Offshore hiring managers report a lack of technical skills as their No. 1 difficulty in securing the right candidates to fill open roles, followed by a lack of experience.

In terms of seniority, experienced professionals without line management duties are also increasingly difficult to source.

Without a structured approach, this tribal knowledge, which has been accumulated of decades and often goes undocumented, will be lost for good.

This is a major risk that cannot be solved simply by delaying retirement or rehiring retirees as part-time consultants. Offshore companies should map knowledge holders to potential departure dates and facilitate mentorship so the trickle of junior talent entering the sector can assume some of that knowledge.

This should be supplemented with improved learning and development programs to ensure companies have access to the skills needed to handle the challenges posed by the changing energy landscape.

Professionals show a real appetite for career development; one-third says they would value taking on new responsibilities, but most (58%) would like to pursue industry training or extended formal training (40%).

Companies that make this a focus stand to benefit from a workforce with higher job satisfaction that can work on more varied and interesting projects, leading to higher retention and fewer skills gaps.

AI is reshaping entry-level roles

In 2025, 42% of offshore professionals said they use AI in their role, compared to 23% in 2024. There is concern that increasing AI will reduce the number of entry-level roles.

Rather, what we are seeing in job descriptions is a reshaping of those roles to automate repetitive work and give technically and digitally capable junior hires more scope to contribute value faster.

Along with a renewed focus on career progression activities, this could make the industry more appealing and help to address retention, going some way to address the lack of mid-career professionals.

As offshore opportunities reopen and expand, long-term success will depend on whether companies can respond to tighter global mobility, looming retirements and AI-driven change with a workforce strategy built around skills, knowledge transfer and career development.