Tuesday, November 27, 2007 Demand for RP seafarers grows
DESPITE rising fuel costs worldwide, the Norwegian shipping industry remains bullish and signified its commitment to hire 8,000 to 10,000 new maritime officers from different countries before 2012.
“Global industries, like imports and exports, will still grow and the industry (shipping) will continue to benefit from it. There will be new vessels coming out towards 2015. After which, it may go on a plateau,” said Odd Magne Skei, director for the Norwegian Training Center (NTC).
The global shipping industry, he said, will continue to introduce some 7,000 new vessels by 2012 and may need more than 25,000 seafarers.
He said the Norwegian Ship Owners Association (NSA), for instance, is targeting to hire 700 seafarers in the Philippines per year.
He added hiring Filipino maritime crew, especially from Cebu, will be given high priority over their counterparts from China and Vietnam.
“We give high priority to Filipino seafarers on board Norwegian-owned, controlled, managed or operated vessels. Filipinos are known in the industry to be highly skilled professionals and (are known) for their loyalty. That’s why we need them,” said Skei in an interview.
Other than the Filipinos’ advantage in terms of English proficiency and professionalism, he stressed it is their loyalty to the shipping company that has created for them a good reputation among foreign ship-owners.
Skei also said that more Filipino maritime crew members have now taken management level positions, such as ship captains and chief engineers.
“European companies, in the case of shipping firms, are now after quality regardless of nationality. So, you see other nationalities taking high positions,” he said.
Opportunity
Earlier, lawyer Augusto Go, president of Cebu-based maritime school University of Cebu (UC), said Filipino ship captains are now earning some $6,000 per month or roughly P240,000 per month.
Skei forecasted over 65 percent of senior fleet officers in Europe and the United States will be retiring by 2012, creating a huge opportunity for Filipino crew on-board for further promotions.
Capitalizing on this huge opportunity, Skei is urging Filipinos to enroll in courses, like marine engineering, while demand is still increasing.
He admitted that despite the industry’s potential, the lack of professional maritime crew in offshore sites has caused $200 million worth of shipping investments in Europe to be temporarily shelved.
To cushion the industry from the effects of any downfall, NTC has intensified its partnerships with maritime schools in the Philippines, China and Vietnam by providing scholarships to students.
Last Thursday, the NTC-operated Norwegian Maritime Foundation of the Philippines Inc. (NMFPI) and the UC-Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UC-LM) campus inked a deal for an exclusive partnership to train 300 local cadets as high quality ship officers.
The training program, which will begin in June 2008, allows UC-LM maritime students to avail themselves of full scholarships, inclusive of tuition, board and lodging, and book allowances.
It also allows scholars to take advantage of 10 months to 12 months shipboard training aboard internationally plying NSA vessels during their apprenticeship, where they will get a monthly allowance of $450 and are exposed to job opportunities on board Norwegian-controlled vessels. (MMM)
