The course will be delivered by UK industry body Subsea UK in collaboration with the Robert Gordon University’s commercial arm Univation Ltd

Subsea UK chief executive David Pridden said the rising international demand for subsea services and products means the sector “urgently” needs 1000 new engineers with those numbers rising to 3000 in the next five years.

“There is a limited pool of resources in the sector and, if UK companies are to capitalise on the huge growth in the sector, we must bring in new blood,” Pridden said.

“By targeting engineers and non-technical personnel from other industries, we might be able to fill the current gap.

“Attracting them is one challenge but enabling them to transfer their skills is another and this course has been designed to rapidly and effectively develop skills suitable for the subsea sector.”

The course is designed to give background information on the industry, terminology and equipment used, how the oil and subsea industries developed, and future expectations for the sector.

Suitable for engineers and non-technical personnel, the course contains four modules: the oil and gas industry; oil and gas engineering; the subsea industry; and subsea engineering.