The recent economic recession has led to a rethink of global proportions on how industry moves forward in the second decade of the 21st Century. Almost every sector has been affected by the need for fiscal prudence just to survive the downturn. But as we tentatively climb out of recession and back into growth, it is the petrochemical industry that seems to have survived the worst of the recession best, stabilising and returning to growth months before the rest of the world caught up.

A global phenomenon

This industry stability has been a global phenomenon, even in what would be regarded as politically unstable regions such as the Middle East. Iran’s announcement that it is to build five new petrochemical plants is a key indicator that our dependency on petrochemical products has not abated in any way. The result is that petrochemical jobs are still seen as one of the most stable and long-term career moves for those who have the experience, qualifications and determination to succeed.

Last year, Iran and Germany signed a contract to construct a heavy polyethylene plant in the province of Kermanshah in western Iran. The plant, which will cost 150million Euros to build, is seen as an important part of the country’s economic development and also represents a warming of relations between Europe and the Middle East. The public sector will be responsible for 70% of the plant’s management and operation, with the rest being controlled by the NPC.

20-year outlook plan

A 20-year ‘outlook plan’ of development and growth is predicted to increase Iran’s global petrochemical markets to $20billion per annum, making the country a major international player in the petrochemical industry and the tenth largest petrochemical producer in the world. The country has a wealth of natural resources to draw upon, as well as a skilled workforce used to coping with the demands of a tough industry. Could Iran’s petrochemical growth signal a greater level of activity across the industry in general?

Observers think that it does. However, Iran does have the benefit of huge gas resources, an ability and prior experience of meeting the needs of a consumer market and a level of specialisation that other countries don’t have. But where Iran leads, the rest of the world is sure to follow, and new pipelines and the construction of a major gas terminal in Wales could mean that the number of petrochemical jobs in the UK and Europe might also increase proportionally. These are skilled, long-term jobs that offer financial stability and a degree of autonomy in an industry that relies on a few select resources for its key elements. The satellite businesses that grow up around the petrochemical industry also mean that areas that have been blighted by unemployment due to the loss of other heavy industry could see a new influx of quality jobs linked to the petrochemical industry. This could mean that those with a skills-set and experience that they previously thought was of little use to future career paths could quickly find themselves at the top of the jobs pile once again.

The result of all this is an industry that’s in buoyant mood and has a long-term plan for growth and expansion. The petrochemical sector could become one of the most important job providers over the next few years for many areas that thought the days of heavy industry had long since passed by, and a return to dominance for the manufacturing sector supplying the industry with essential components. All in all, that has to be a good thing for a country still shaken by the body blow of a recession that has caused everyone to rethink their economic strategies.

Author Bio: Paul B Smith – Search petrochemical jobs and other engineering roles in specialist sectors: automotive & aerospace, petrochemical & process, mining & minerals, nuclear & power. Candidates can register CVs online and search jobs across all of our sectors.

Category: Jobs
Keywords: petrochemical jobs