Skills Gaps Slow Energy and Mining Workforce Moves
Employers hiring experienced workers from related sectors across Asia Pacific often require added training before placement.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Careers
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A report from Opito finds that gaps in skills recognition are keeping energy and mining workers from moving between sectors across Asia Pacific. Employers in each of six surveyed markets often require additional training or certification for workers from related sectors, which adds cost and delay for operators hiring across industries.
Why it matters
Requirements for extra training, certification or assessment slow the hiring of experienced workers from adjacent sectors, which matters for employers in oil and gas, mining and energy that need to fill roles quickly. The report frames the problem as central to a just transition that helps experienced workers reach opportunities in other industries.
The survey covered 390 workers and employers in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Across those six markets, more than two-thirds of employers in each market always or often require added training or assessment for workers from related sectors, and 55 per cent of respondents cite difficulty verifying practical competence.
The players
Opito
Opito is a training and workforce development organisation that works with energy and resources employers on skills and competency standards.
International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization is the United Nations agency that sets international labour standards and runs skills and social protection programmes for workers and employers.
ASEAN
ASEAN is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a regional bloc whose energy cooperation programmes shape cross-border power trade and related workforce demand.
The details
The survey examined gaps in skills recognition across safety-critical industries such as oil and gas and mining, where certifications and training often do not transfer from one employer, project or geography to another. When recognition is absent, employers fall back on re-training and fresh assessment before placing a worker, which adds time and cost to each hire. The report recommends mapping overlapping competencies across sectors while keeping training that is specific to each operating environment.
Timeline
Opito published the skills recognition report on 3 November 2026.
ASEAN members reached consensus on an enhanced memorandum of understanding for the ASEAN Power Grid in October 2026.
Market Landscape
The skills recognition gap arrives as ASEAN members advance an enhanced memorandum of understanding for the ASEAN Power Grid, which expands regional energy infrastructure and the demand for skilled energy workers. Where that cross-border buildout meets fragmented recognition of certifications, hiring across national and sector lines is likely to remain slower than the project pipeline implies.
Employers in energy and mining should budget for additional training or assessment when hiring experienced workers from adjacent sectors, since most surveyed employers already require it. Operators that map their roles against overlapping competencies may shorten placement timelines for transferring workers.
The takeaway
Trust in workers from other sectors breaks down when training and certification are not recognised, so operators should audit which of their hiring requirements duplicate existing credentials. Track whether competency-mapping frameworks begin to reduce re-training requirements in the markets covered by the survey.
Further reading
For related context on hiring and workforce mobility, see the Careers section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Eco-Business.
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