Decreasing oil prices have directly affected employability in the oil and gas industry at a global scale since 2014, dropping the workforce to significantly low levels. In Colombia, many young professionals finish their undergraduate studies with the intention of building a competitive industry and leveraging the national economy through their knowledge; however, most of them have not even had the chance to get a first job because they are in a market that values the experience they do not have. This makes evident the need for differentiation of candidates in the selection processes and consideration of other alternatives for their life projects.
According to a study conducted by the Human Age Institute, “social competences have a key transversal dimension and are vital for all generations, which is why companies today highly value these competences since they are useful to face the competitive challenges that arise in different sectors and markets.” Likewise, other studies have led to an estimation that 52% of jobs in 2015 required social skills, but, by 2020, these would be the skills with the highest demand.
Because of this, the SPE Colombia Section, through analysis of data obtained in several studies, identified the lack of these skills in the country’s young professionals in the energy sector. As a result of these analyses, a project was designed to improve soft skills through various activities and keynotes.
The results, documented in this paper, show a significant effect on those involved in the program.
