BP laments lack of engineering skills

There is a lack of engineering skills in the UK, which could hinder BP''s growth, one of the firm''s executives has said.

Oil and gas contractors could be in greater demand as one BP executive believes a shortage of skills is hindering growth in the UK.

BP's North Sea operations in particular are under threat, Trevor Garlick explained to the Sunday Telegraph, as the company struggles to fill the roles it has available.

The oil giant is currently investing £3 billion in two North Sea oil fields, which are designed to create hundreds of new jobs.

"We are hiring a lot of people, but we are also an exporter of a couple of hundred people to other regions [in BP]. We are a centre for recruiting elsewhere," he told the paper.

Last month, BP announced that it anticipates its future cash flows generated globally to grow faster than its output rate.

Both upstream and downstream businesses are expected to witness growth as the company thinks about delivering its strategic priorities.