Organisations and companies in the oil and gas sector are working hard to ensure that they will have the talent they need in the future. Here, we profile three initiatives that stimulate young people to think about oil and gas as a career, and ensure that students receive the right training to join the workforce.  SCHOOLS CHaLLENGE  Imagine you are part of a team searching for undiscovered reservoirs of oil and gas in a remote corner of the world. You have a strict budget, but you must acquire and interpret seismic surveys, secure licensing rights, rent rigs and sell shares in your company.  Pupils who take part in PetroChallenge are being asked to do just that. Its twoday events around the UK, aimed at 16- to 18-year-olds, are sponsored and run by Opito, the industry's focal point for skills, learning and workforce development.  additional funding from Chevron, Taqa, BP and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) this year brought the events to the Shetland and Western Isles for the first time.  The aim of PetroChallenge is to give students studying maths, science, engineering, IT and business-related subjects first-hand experience of what it is like to be part of an oil and gas company. The pupils work in "virtual" companies on a computer-based simulation programme.  "They are given maps of certain areas and are asked to work out where oil might be found by using clues such as rock formations," says Diane Johnston, skills and learning development coordinator at Opito.  Pupils can also find out about the job options open to them in the oil and gas industry, and discover how skills they are developing at school can be applied in real life. "PetroChallenge is meant to spark the imagination, and we are on hand at the event to offer any further information about careers," adds Johnston.  POSTGRaDUaTE SCHOLaRSHIPS  Britain is a world leader in the subsea sector and specialised engineers are already greatly in demand. From this September, Subsea UK, which represents the subsea supply chain, is offering scholarships to encourage students to stay on at university and study for postgraduate degrees in subsea engineering. The scholarships are offered at a number of universities across the country, including Cranfield, Strathclyde, aberdeen and Newcastle.  "Over the next three years, 10,000 more people are going to be needed in the industry, in many different disciplines," says Patrick O'Brien, group director of strategic business and marketing for industry solutions provider Wood Group Kenny, and a board member at Subsea UK. "With student fees going up, many people nearing the end of their undergraduate courses are unable to consider postgraduate degrees. These scholarships enable them to study subsea engineering and go on to employment in the sector, helping the industry get the talent it needs."  The scholarships are open to UK students, and study can be full- or part-time, the latter allowing candidates to continue working. Those with an engineering background who are looking to switch careers can also apply.  JOBS FOR THE GIRLS  In hard hats and orange boiler suits, the young women from Meldrum, Ellon, Huntly and Turr