For anyone building a career in energy — whether you’re a graduate trying to get your first opportunity, an experienced professional adapting to new technology, or someone wondering where the industry is heading — the skills we develop now will matter enormously over the coming years. In this episode of Energy Sector Heroes, I’m joined by Simon Seaton, CEO of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), to talk about the changing energy workforce, the impact of AI, the challenge facing new graduates and why engineering skills will remain important well beyond traditional oil and gas. Simon has spent 35 years in industry and is now in his fourth year leading SPE. We discuss what he has seen change since we last spoke, including the pressures facing the sector, changing employment patterns and the role professional organisations can play in keeping technical knowledge and professional networks alive. 🎓 Getting into the energy industry We talk openly about the challenges graduates can face when looking for that first role. Simon makes the point that a degree alone may not be enough. Building relationships, attending industry events, taking internships and sometimes accepting a role that gets you into the right environment can all help create a route into the career you ultimately want. We also discuss why graduates increasingly need to demonstrate something beyond their core qualification — whether that's an understanding of AI, carbon capture, geothermal, critical minerals or other technologies shaping the future energy system. 🤖 AI, productivity and the changing workforce AI is already changing how technical professionals find information and carry out everyday work, but Simon doesn't see the story simply as AI replacing engineers. Instead, we discuss how technology allows organisations to achieve more with fewer people and why professionals who learn how to work effectively with AI could have an advantage. Simon also shares what SPE is developing, including an AI knowledge assistant designed to draw on SPE's technical papers, journals, books and conference material while providing references back to the original technical sources. 🌍 Where will the engineering jobs of the future come from? Oil and gas remains part of the discussion, but we look much further ahead. Simon explains why petroleum engineering and other technical disciplines can transfer into geothermal, carbon capture and storage, critical minerals and other emerging areas of energy. That raises a bigger issue: are enough young people choosing STEM subjects to provide the engineers and technical professionals required to deliver the infrastructure of the future? We discuss the importance of role models, schools, families and the industry's own responsibility to show younger generations what engineering careers actually involve. Three Key Takeaways🔹 Engineering skills are becoming broader, not obsolete. Skills developed in oil and gas can increasingly transfer into geothermal, CCUS, critical minerals and other areas of the evolving energy system. 🔹 AI literacy is becoming part of professional competence. The opportunity isn't simply to compete against AI, but to understand how to use it alongside trusted technical information, engineering judgement and experience. 🔹 Careers rarely follow a perfect route. Your first opportunity may not be your ideal job. Building experience, relationships and exposure to the industry can create opportunities that aren't obvious at the beginning. Three Actionable Takeaways✅ Build your network before you need it. Attend technical events, SPE meetings and industry conferences, speak to people outside your immediate discipline and stay connected afterwards. ✅ Add one emerging skill to your existing expertise. Start developing practical knowledge of AI, geothermal, CCUS, critical minerals or another area that complements your core engineering background. ✅ Create more than one route into the industry. If your ideal position isn't available immediately, consider adjacent roles, internships, projects or disciplines that give you relevant experience and access to the organisations where you ultimately want to work.
