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Desperate For Skills

Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:11 pm
by Madzng
Taken from http://www.shiptalk.com - 06 July 2009


Despite the climbing unemployment rate, some employers are practically begging for qualified applicants for certain occupations.

The maritime industry is just one of those desperately seeking new workers. At Crowley Marine Services, for example there are almost always job openings for skilled workers.

"We have openings both on the marine side and on board our vessels and we have openings shore side," said Christopher Peterson with Crowley.

It's becoming more difficult to fill maritime positions because there aren't enough workers with the right skills to be able to, say, drive a boat while managing security and environmental issues.

Gaining the skills to become a maritime professional can be both costly and time consuming. At Crowley Marine Services, the average age of their workers is 51, so it's crucial to start replacing workers lost through attrition.

At Crowley Marine Services, there are almost always job openings for skilled workers.
"That's probably my biggest concern," said Peterson, "that we have the time and ability to transfer that skillset to the younger generation."

The Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County says there is always a skills gap for certain professions; meaning there are more jobs than skilled workers to fill them. Other professions battling a constant shortage include health care and interactive media.

"Also known as video gaming," said Marlena Sessions with the WDC of Seattle-King County. "This is another, sort of, hidden gold mine in our region and it's really very active, very vibrant," she said.

The WDC is working with employers and colleges to get more workers up to speed with training funded, in part, by the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009. But training will take time.

"Although it's so urgent right now in terms of the need that 3-12 months, 3-18 moths sounds too long. But that's how long it takes to become a licensed practical nurse, for example," said Sessions.

As of July 1st, the WDC of Seattle-King County has $15.1 million dollars to pump into the community for employment services and job training.

According to a state survey, the occupational groups with the highest number of job vacancies in Seattle-King County are management, health care, computer and mathematical. Healthcare is always at or near the top of the list of in-demand occupations no matter where you live.

Re: Desperate For Skills

Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:00 pm
by JK
I was just looking at a staffing poster for Transport Canada Marine-they are looking for 30 inspectors. Same issue as everyone else with an aging workforce.

Re: Desperate For Skills

Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 8:23 pm
by The Dieselduck
As the economy of the world takes a severe swipe at shipping, I ran accross this article about the IMO declaring next year to be "year of the seafarer".

- Martin

Next year's theme is the Seafarer

The Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), meeting for its 102nd session in London (29 June to 3 July 2009), agreed that next year"s theme for World Maritime Day will be “2010: Year of the Seafarer”, endorsing a proposal from IMO Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos.

The theme - to be celebrated throughout the year and also at a World Maritime Day parallel event in Argentina - was selected to give IMO and the international maritime community the opportunity to pay tribute to the world"s seafarers for their unique contribution to society and in recognition of the risks they shoulder in the execution of their duties in an often hostile environment.

In proposing it, Secretary-General Mitropoulos said that “the unique hazards confronting the 1.5 million seafarers of the world - including pirate attacks, unwarranted detention and abandonment - coupled with the predicted looming shortage of ships" officers, make it ever more incumbent to take immediate and effective action to forestall a situation from developing in which ships are not manned with sufficient skilled personnel”.

The theme complements IMO"s ongoing “Go to Sea!” campaign to attract new entrants to the shipping industry, which was launched in November 2008 in association with the International Labour Organization, the “Round Table” of shipping industry organizations and the International Transport Workers" Federation. It is also in line with the comprehensive review, initiated in 2006, of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) 1978 and its associated Code, updated texts of which are due to be considered by a Diplomatic Conference scheduled to be held in Manila, Philippines, in mid-2010.

Once adopted, the proposed amendments to the STCW Convention and Code will provide the necessary global standards for the training and certification of seafarers to man technologically advanced ships, today and for some time to come.

www.TurkishMaritime.com.tr