OPITO, the skills and standards body for the oil and gas industry has appointed a new director of communications to its Aberdeen headquarters.
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James Hamilton has taken on the role after five years working in the UAE as OPITO’s Middle East and Africa standards and approvals manager before becoming the body’s international workforce development manager. He has returned to the UK to lead the marketing and communications team.
As department director, Mr Hamilton will oversee and implement communications strategies which look to build on the success of recent campaigns such as OPITO’s UK-wide National Oil and Gas Skills Week.
John McDonald, managing director of OPITO UK said: “Communication is vital to any relationship and having James leading our team strengthens our partnership with the oil and gas industry to deliver high standards for safety and training across the sector.
“As an industry body, we are quick to adapt to the needs of oil and gas businesses and what we have seen is a growing demand for our services and support. Having been with OPITO for over eight years, James brings a wealth of global experience and knowledge of how the oil and gas industry operates and of the challenges it faces.
A unique, not-for-profit organisation, OPITO is wholly owned by the oil and gas sector. It recently published a wide-ranging Market Intelligence Report in collaboration with industry partners. The assessment of the immediate needs of the industry around skills, training and recruitment will now inform the first ever national Skills Strategy for Oil and Gas, to be produced by OPITO.
Mr Hamilton said: “OPITO has always listened to the oil and gas industry to enable us to lead and set objectives. I’m pleased to take up this new role which demonstrates how dedicated we are to engaging with the sector throughout these challenging times, as we work towards a stable future for the industry’s workforce.
“Relaying the importance of high standards in training and competence, and ensuring the skills talent pool is not ignored is a priority for us, and I look forward to working alongside the industry and our stakeholders to achieve this.”
