The Oil & Gas Show (OGS) has been expanded to incorporate 'Careers Expo 2008,' the region's only job fair for engineers and technical professionals, to address the ongoing shortage of skilled manpower in the region across a spectrum of industries.

Careers Expo will open a direct channel among job seekers, recruitment services providers and direct employers, focusing on delivering professional manpower to several key sectors such as oil & gas, renewable energy, water, automation and electricity, said the organisers International Conferences and Exhibitions (IC&E).

The event will feature a wide pool of experienced professionals looking to diversify or move up the career ladder, fresh graduates from top universities and colleges in the region, and technical specialists in the energy sector.

The manpower shortage has been attributed to several factors, including the increase in development projects across all sectors in the Middle East, a region-wide economic diversification program, industrialisation and a gradual shift to knowledge-based economies, said Anselm Godinho, managing director, IC&E.

'For instance, over $60 billion in projects have been earmarked for the next seven years in the electricity sector alone. Subsequently, such an enormous undertaking has sharply driven the demand for specialists and engineers in the field of electricity generation,' he pointed out.

'The rapid growth and ongoing massive infrastructural development initiatives in the Middle East have placed a premium on engineers and technical experts. Interestingly, there has never been a dedicated platform that facilitates employment and recruitment opportunities across different sectors,' he noted.

''Careers Expo 2008' seeks to fill this void by creating a suitable venue to address the huge manpower requirements of the region,' he added.

It will also include a series of workshops and seminars on job choices and career paths, while there will be presentations on groundbreaking technologies and newly developed best practices.

OGS 2008 has been expanded to cover four separate segments - Electricity and Water Technology 2008; Instrumentation, Automation and Laboratory Technology 2008; Oil and Gas, a networking forum for the region's leading oil and gas producers; and Careers Expo.

Electricity and Water Technology will focus on renewable energy resources as well as environmental sustainability.

Instrumentation, automation and laboratory technology is a cross-industrial platform for technicians and engineers, showcasing a comprehensive range of state-of-the-art equipment, technology and expertise.

The Oil and Gas 2008 will provide a networking forum for both upstream and downstream industry players, facilitating interaction and developing business ties between public and private stakeholders of the oil and gas industry.

The event will also focus on hydrocarbon technology, extraction techniques, storage and transport infrastructure.

Organised under the theme 'Cultivating Synergy in Energy', OGS 2008 is the premier technical and engineering event for the region’s energy and automation sectors, including oil, gas, electricity, water and petrochemical exhibition.

It will be held from October 28 to 30, 2008, at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.-TradeArabia News Service