The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) has called on the government to provide incentives to oil and gas companies that are willing to offer internships to students in a bid to boost the talent pool in the industry.

Around 30,000 graduates a year will likely be affected by the recent downward trend in the oil and gas industry, including ones majoring in mining, petroleum and geophysical engineering, according to the Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA).

As a result, it is getting harder for oil and gas companies to hire new personnel, while internship programs are deemed a liability for company operations.

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“Therefore, companies and the government need to collaborate,” said Hasbi A. Lubis, a board member for SPE’s Java section, over the weekend during the IPA Convention and Exhibition 2017.

“We have often heard about the incentives given to companies able to preserve their local industrial content. Maybe we also need to give incentives to companies that have been able to develop workers since the beginning,”

With such incentive, he said companies would be more eager to offer internships, which he deemed crucial to ensure the sustainability of the oil and gas industry.

The global price of oil has been in a free fall to below US$50 a barrel at present from more than $100 a barrel in 2013, leading to uncertainties in the sector. (bbn)