Take advantage of industry funds to continue cadet training programmes in the face of a recession, advised a leading employers representative.
“Any company or industry that shuts its doors to the recruitment and training of its next generation of skilled workers will send a clear and long-lasting message that it is in terminal decline.”
David Dearsley, secretary general, International Maritime Employers’ Committee (IMEC)
At a recent conference, International Maritime Employers’ Committee (IMEC) secretary general, David Dearsley argued that although the present world economic crisis is far worse than at the beginning of previous recessions, it would not significantly impact on shipping’s manpower shortage. Expectations based on the results of previous economic recessions would tend to indicate that the shortage of qualified officers is so bad that a significant decline in the number of ships in the world fleet through the scrapping of existing ships, lay-ups and the cancellation of proposed newbuildings, would simply reduce the shortage to more manageable numbers. “Frankly, I doubt this,” Dearsley said.
Dearsley explained that unemployed qualified seafarers have already demonstrated in past recessions that they can assimilate back into the shore-based population relatively easily because their technical and professional skills are transferable. Many shore-based industries, such as in engineering, ports and harbours, and offshore installations value the flexibility and hands-on skills of seafarers.
“Young people all over the world looking for careers as they leave university, use the internet to source information in a way that did not exist even 10 years ago,” he said. “Any company or industry that shuts its doors to the recruitment and training of its next generation of skilled workers will send a clear and long-lasting message that it is in terminal decline. We run the very real risk of sending out this message again today, not just in the UK or Europe but globally, unless we maintain a long-term and far sighted training programme to deal with the crew crisis.” Many owners facing pressure on margins are bound to reduce so called ‘discretionary spending’, which includes the training programme. If the recession produces a reduction in the scale of the officer shortages and reduces the pressure on officer wage rates, it will be even more difficult to resist demands to reduce the number of cadets being trained. The only way forward to making sure that the errors of the past are not repeated is to maintain recruitment and training programmes. Dearsley explained: “This does not mean that they should be maintained precisely as they are today; indeed this would not be sustainable. It means maintaining our intake of cadets but targeting our resources better in order to reduce wastage and improve the quality of the output and where possible spreading the costs with other like-minded companies.”
Long Term Decision
IMEC took a long term strategic decision last year in respect of cadet training. Dearsley said: “When considering the officer shortage we concluded that simply throwing more cadets into the system would not necessarily prove to be the answer in some of our major labour supply countries. The Working Group we established to consider the officer shortage was particularly struck by the fact that some 10% of our Filipino ratings held valid officer licenses. They were also struck by the fact that each year some 18,000 young Filipinos commenced training programmes designed to deliver officer watchkeeping certificates after the four-year period, but only some 4,000 officers were actually produced.
The balance obtained work ashore or became ratings. “Clearly, recruiting yet more cadets into this system would not produce the desired effect of producing enough officers to overcome the shortage. So we decided to follow the lead already initiated by the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association and try to change the system. Starting from scratch this year we decided to select cadets to educational, aptitude and medical standards that we set, to train them to standards we set, in particular in respect of reduced class sizes and the provision of educational materials and equipment, and to ensure that the lecturers were fully competent and selected by IMEC.
“The programme is fully sponsored through International Maritime Training Trust (IMTT) and the cadets receive a full scholarship covering tuition fees, accommodation and food, uniforms and training materials. The cadets are assured of the 12 months sea time training with an IMEC member during the third training year and will return to that company once they have obtained their officer license,” he said. IMEC firmly believes that the cadet training programme is a long-term, farsighted way to produce the number of qualified seafarers that the industry requires and of a standard of competence in excess of current standards.
Dearsley said: “Of particular importance given the current economic crisis, the manner in which the programme is financed through an industry fund should minimise cost during a time when training budgets will inevitably come under severe pressure.” (source: tankeroperator.com)
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