First-in-Series Whitepaper Diagnoses Employment Shortfall

Free Industry Research on State of Hiring Throughout Energy Industry; Solution for Continual Sourcing of Leadership Candidates and Skilled Technicians

May 8th, 2007 (Raleigh, NC and Sarasota, FL) ñ As a whole, the energy business is in an unenviable position. This seems counterintuitive, but while most companies in the sector are and have been reporting record profits, announcing new business acquisitions and the building of countless new facilities, the size and quality of the industryís ranks leaves something to be desired.

So says a new whitepaper ñ released today as the first in a series of research pieces ñwhich diagnoses the causes, effects and solutions to a growing problem in the energy industries: where to find skilled employees for technical and managerial positions?

In the last two decades, the energy industry:

lost half a million employees;

suffered from an entire generation of future and current college students deciding against degrees and career paths within the energy sector;

and now ñ some 30 years after the initial downsizing trends began ñ the industry finds itself seeking experienced young professionals and technicians to fill the ranks after a predicted 40% of the current employment base will retire in 10 years or less.

Titled ìHiring Military in the Energy Industriesî and available here, the whitepaper outlines the current employment shortfall facing the energy industry as myriad companies look to buffer their workforces after nearly a quarter-century of downsizing and contraction has left the industry with few viable skilled and/or experienced workers. It then proposes a wide-ranging solution to the employment shortfall in the industry.

ìSavvy companies and HR departments in the industry realize that leadership is not easily trained, and unskilled labor results in consistent ramp-up time and tireless resources for orientation,î said Orion Senior Partner Steve Casey, who currently heads Orionís energy industry hiring initiatives from the companyís Austin, TX office. ìAs a result, companies are learning to live by the ëHire Talent, Train Skillsí mantra. But stemming from downsized HR departments and the absence of effective recruiting programs, most have yet to locate the optimal candidate pool.î

The Orion family has first-hand experience connecting job seekers with companies in the energy sector: To date, Orion has secured over 1,500 jobs for military veterans; ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, Oceaneering International, Subsea 7, Cameron Subsea, Diamond Offshore, Schlumberger, and J Ray McDermott have all hired veterans through Orionís services.

Equally, MilitaryStars, a division of Orion International and the nationís largest military career expo company, has seen Conoco Phillips, Progress Energy, Bechtel Corporation, Chevron, Schlumberger, Baker Hughes, KBR, BP, Kiewit Industrial and Oceaneering International all find viable and skilled job seekers at its military-exclusive hiring events throughout the country.

To see how the Orion family of military recruiting companies can bring veterans to organizations within the energy industry, please visit the link below and download the free whitepaper on military hiring in the energy sector.