Smooth transfer of oil and gas workers in TUPE contract exchange

In February 2025, 40 workers (electrical installation technicians, pipefitters and platers including supervisors) working on Enquest’s Sullom Voe Terminal (pictured above) were transferred from Worley to nexos.

When asset owners change the contractor responsible for a contract, a TUPE** process takes place.  This ensures continuity of employment and terms for workers, however, the new contractor still needs to verify and demonstrate that the technical competence of the workforce is aligned to its competence framework.

But because both organisations use the same Connected Competence framework for the verification of ongoing base level of technical competence, the contract exchange was seamless.

No repeat assessments

The transfer was processed more efficiently but, more importantly, there was no impact to the workers having to repeat assessments with their new employer.

Andrew Hockey, CEO of the ECITB, explained: “The industry-led programme reduces duplication of assessment and the costs associated with this.  In doing so, it speeds up mobilisation of workers, reduces lost time incidents, while increasing site productivity.

“Previously, each contractor assessed competence against their own company framework, so when a contract switched, there would often be a lengthy and costly process to verify workers’ competence involving the Training and Competence teams, Technical Authorities, the workers themselves and the client organisation.

“If the standards were different in this framework, the cost to bring all workers up to this would be on the new contractor.

”But now, through industry-recognised, standardised testing, Connected Competence assures an ongoing base level of technical competence for workers. It creates an agile and more transferable workforce, which is why it has backing from many of the UK’s largest contracting companies and major asset owners.

“The latest statistics from the ECITB Labour Forecasting Tool suggest that around 40,000 additional workers could be needed in the engineering construction industry for major projects, including those related to net zero by 2030.

“The mobility of the workforce and its ability to move between sites and sectors is absolutely vital if we are to meet demand for skills and the UK’s overall net zero goals.”

Harmonising competence frameworks

In 2024 nexos joined Aker Solutions, Altrad Integrity Services (formerly Stork), Bilfinger, Boskalis, Petrofac, Ponticelli UK, Semco Maritime, Wood and Worley to align to the Connected Competence base standard as a minimum requirement for craft and technician workers.***

The TUPE transfer from the two Connected Competence employers in February showed the benefits of harmonising competence frameworks.

Grace Young, Training & Competence Lead at nexos, has been in the industry for almost two decades and is responsible for leading the competence assurance across the workforce based on onshore and offshore sites.

She explained: “Where I received the certificates from Worley, the fact we recognise Connected Competence sped up the transition process and reduced the need to request certificates again from those transitioning with the Sullom Voe work scopes.

“For these employees, we could validate technical competence straight away.  We know the workers meet the nexos standard because it is the same as the Worley standard.”

Emma Rodriguez, Training & Competence Manager at Worley, agreed: “Previously, it was a lot of work for both companies.

“We would need to gather the data on who has done which training. Now we are all aligned to the same standardised tests for each discipline, so we know the workers have demonstrated ongoing technical competence.

“We provided the folder of certificates to nexos and can confirm all workers have demonstrated ongoing technical competence through Connected Competence technical tests.

“As we found in our From Ambition to Reality research, standardisation will be essential across all aspects of infrastructure if we are to accelerate the energy transition and this is a small but excellent example of the benefits.”

* If neither employer used the Connected Competence framework, the average hours needed to process paperwork from both companies, map qualifications against the new framework and for a Technical Authority review of competence would be around 7 hours per worker. 7 hrs x 40 workers = 280 hours.  Taking an approximate £65 per hour, the total estimated cost saving is £18,200.

There would then be a further cost per worker for them to attend and complete additional testing, depending on the gaps identified when the mapping has been completed. This could be around £1,500 per worker (based on average worker training day rates, accommodation and travel, and costs of tests).  £1,500x 40 = £60,000.

** TUPE stands for Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006. TUPE transfers | Acas

*** Aurora Energy Services and Kent have since also joined Connected Competence.