The exploration for and development of oil and gas is driving a rising tide for the shipbuilding sector in Brazil.

The once ill-fated Brazilian shipbuilding industry, utilizing less than 2,000 professionals in the 1990s, now employs over 80,000 workers. Half of them are based in the state of Rio de Janeiro, the top Brazilian producer of oil and gas.

Analysts now predict that demand for shipbuilding industry professionals in Brazil will grow by about 17,000 in 2015.

Carlos Campos Neto, the Infrastructure Coordinator of the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA), remarked that: "The pre-salt exploration is in its early phase, hence the requirement for skilled labor is likely to come up in the next year. A number of shipyards are on the verge of commencing production and more labor will be required".

The ship and rig building headcount should continue to increase through 2020, with the addition of 31 rigs, 16 already undergoing construction. Market experts share a unanimous position that the shipbuilding sector will continue to develop over the following twenty years.

A recent survey by IPEA shows that the sector has been growing at a pace of 19.5% per year, since 2004.

"The shipbuilding industry will play out over the next twenty-five years," Mr. Campos Neto commented.

However, the shortfall of skilled labor is a bottleneck yet to be overcome, contends Victor Kneipp, the manager of the Institute of Sea and Ports (IMAPOR).

"Shipbuilding will keep growing; however, we do need skilled labor, which is not in plentiful supply across the industry. The lack of qualified labor is a roadblock which must be removed swiftly", he said.