Author: Michelle Unger
The Talent Pipeline: How Industry Collaborates to Change the Narrative About Working in Pipelines
In a nutshell:
The pipeline industry is at a pivotal moment: Younger generations are seeking purposeful, flexible, and human-centered careers, while the sector is rapidly modernizing through digital innovation, future fuels, and advanced engineering. Yet, outdated perceptions persist. To attract and retain talent, the industry must reclaim its narrative by showing real impact stories, strengthening transparent career development, and fostering inclusive cultures that embrace diverse voices. By collaborating across organizations and elevating authentic experiences, the pipeline community can build a resilient, engaged workforce that will drive the industry’s future. Against this backdrop, Michelle Unger, Vice President Strategic Industry Engagement at ROSEN, explores what it will take for the industry to share a more authentic, future focused story that will resonate with tomorrow’s workforce.
For too long, the pipeline industry has allowed others to tell our story. All too often, that story has been incomplete and focused mainly on risk, controversy, or misconceptions about what we actually do. Yet, across our global community – from integrity engineers to field technicians, from digital innovators to regulators – I have seen a different story. It is a story of purpose, transformation, and collective responsibility.
Today, the pipeline sector stands at a turning point. Our work underpins energy security, decarbonization, and public safety. Our people design, operate, and maintain some of the world’s most complex infrastructure systems. However, as our research1 confirms, we continue to compete for talent in an environment where younger generations want purpose, flexibility, learning opportunities, a sense of community, and visible impact.
Rather than viewing this as a problem, I see it as an invitation. It is prompting us to rethink how we talk about careers in pipelines and how we design work to engage, attract, and retain exceptional people. The good news is that the foundations are already in place. Across the industry, I see a genuine appetite to collaborate, evolve, and build a stronger talent pipeline for the future.
How do we reclaim our narrative
The first step is acknowledging the gap between who we are and how we are perceived. Although our sector is often portrayed as outdated or resistant to change, it is actually modernizing rapidly. Hydrogen transport, carbon capture infrastructure, digital twins, AI enabled anomaly detection, and advanced robotics are redefining pipeline engineering. These innovations require those skills that excite young professionals – but do not always know these opportunities exist.
Changing the narrative is not just a PR spin; it is about authenticity. Young engineers want to hear from people doing the work, such as the inspector who prevented a failure, the data scientist who builds predictive models, and the community liaison who engages directly with landowners. Real stories like these capture the imagination far more effectively than technical brochures or corporate messaging.
If we want talent to see pipelines as a place to contribute meaningfully to society and climate solutions, we must make the work visible, human, and purpose driven.
We share the responsibility for career growth
One of the clearest messages from our interviews and surveys is that career development must be a shared responsibility. Today’s talent expects partnership: employers who invest in their growth and individuals who take ownership of their journey. This ownership requires clarity.
Many early career professionals told us that they struggle to navigate opaque promotion criteria, uneven training budgets, and inconsistent mentoring opportunities. Meanwhile, seasoned professionals believe that these frameworks already exist. That mismatch signals a communication gap. We can close this gap by providing transparent pathways, competency frameworks, and visible stories of progression.
Demystifying careers empowers people. When we invest in mentorship, we accelerate learning. When we support flexible, nonlinear career journeys, we demonstrate that there is no single “right” path but rather opportunities to grow.
How do we attract talent in this modern world
Other industries have successfully reframed their narratives by focusing on meaningful impact and cross disciplinary skills. We can do the same.
Examples include:
- Every university engineering student should experience a VR inspection demo.
- Every conference should showcase diverse early career voices.
- Every operator and service provider should elevate frontline stories across digital platforms.
- Day in the life content, immersive tools, and short form storytelling should become part of how we educate the next generation.
- Every talent initiative should spotlight the breadth of roles in our industry, from science and maths to finance, HR, marketing, and other business disciplines, to show that great careers are not limited to engineering.
This is not aspirational, it is achievable through collective action. It requires consistency, coordination, and a willingness to speak with one unified voice about what makes pipeline careers interesting, meaningful, and purposeful.
How do we build an industry that welcomes everyone
Attracting talent is not just about messaging; it is also about culture.
A multigenerational workforce brings different expectations, communication styles, and values. Our research revealed areas in which young professionals feel excluded or slowed by structural or cultural barriers. To truly transform the industry, we must create environments where diversity thrives, regardless of gender, culture, background, neurodiversity, or experience level.
This is not only the right thing to do; it is also essential for innovation. Diverse teams challenge norms, perceive risks differently, and generate better solutions. To navigate the complexities of future fuels, digitalization, and societal expectations, we need every voice at the table.
Collaboration is the key
One of the pipeline community’s greatest strengths is its deeply collaborative DNA. From the PRCI to the YPP networks, and from operators to service providers, our sector knows how to come together and solve complex problems. Workforce sustainability deserves that same collective focus.
I believe that we can make a lot possible if we apply the same rigor we use for safety and integrity to talent development: A shared narrative. A common set of development principles. Cross organizational rotations. Regional training partnerships. Consistent mentorship frameworks. Industry wide storytelling platforms. None of us can do this alone, nor should we. A thriving talent pipeline is an industry asset, not a competitive differentiator.
A call to action
We have a powerful opportunity in front of us: To reshape how the world sees pipeline work and to create careers that people proudly choose, rather than falling into by accident (like most of us have!).
Our research confirms what many of us already know – the challenges are real, but so is the momentum for change. By elevating our sense of purpose, modernizing our development systems, and amplifying authentic voices, we can build a narrative that resonates deeply with today’s and tomorrow’s workforces.
The pipeline industry is more than just a collection of assets. It is a community of people committed to safety, innovation, and public good. When we boldly and consistently tell that story, talent will follow.
To make this vision tangible, we’ve outlined a practical framework:
- Phase 1: Co Create a Unified Industry Story,
- Phase 2: Craft Story Driven Value Propositions,
- Phase 3: Activate Multi Channel Engagement,
- Phase 4: Embed Flexible Career Pathways,
- Phase 5: Foster Mentorship & Safe Learning Spaces, and
- Phase 6: Measure Impact & Iterate.
Each phase provides a clear, actionable step toward building the workforce our future demands. Now is our moment to collaborate, to lead, and to invest in the people who will power what comes next with further details available in the reference should leaders choose to go deeper.
Reference:
[1] Unger, M. and Frowjin, J., 2026. Talent Pipeline: A Comprehensive Review on Talent Management and Career Journeys in the Pipeline Industry. Presented at PPIM, Houston, January 2026.
Michelle Unger
Vice President Strategic Industry Engagement
Michelle Unger is the Vice President of Strategic Industry Engagement for the ROSEN Group. She is a Leadership and Workforce Development Executive Coach, Educator, and Pipeline Engineer (MEng, MSc, PgCert, FHEA) with over 25 years’ global experience bridging technical excellence and people performance in the pipeline industry.
Specializing in future ready workforce strategy, Michelle has designed award winning Masters level programs, led ANAB accredited pipeline integrity certifications, and built scalable frameworks that translate complex technical roles into measurable competencies.
Through coaching, consultancy and strategic planning, Michelle helps organizations align talent with strategy, elevating people as the driving force behind technical and organizational success.
Michelle is an EMCC Global Senior Practitioner and an Ashridge accredited Executive Coach.