Lack of Proper Training

The majority of shore based employees across the shipping sector

feel that they are lacking in training and development
opportunities according to leading international maritime jobs
specialist Halcyon Recruitment and online training provider
Coracle which published their 7th Maritime Employee
Survey yesterday (4 December).
The 2015 report, based on nearly 3000 responses, found that half
of the responders stated that their current employer does not
provide, pay for or even encourage training. Against a backdrop of
poor markets, lack of promotions and salary rises, the report’s
authors warn that without good training and personal development
opportunities, maritime employers will lose good staff.

Shore based training by conventionally certified Masters and

Chief Engineers though good is not enough and even useless if
such training is being imparted in an improperly registered college
run by those who have never set their feet on board ships in last
few decades. These days, good ship maintenance work movies
have been developed and companies should ensure that they are
shown on board with regularity and honesty.

To find the best solution we analyze this report alongside our

knowledge of the current challenges facing the industry;
training/experience and manpower. Ships make excellent targets
because with crew compliments of less than two dozen, they have
less than a handful of watch-keepers on duty at any one time. The
crews themselves do not train for security incidents with the
frequency or intensity of fire, pollution or abandonment drills.
When they do train it’s not with the experience or knowledge
gained over a long career, the ISPS code is simply too new.

If a crew member that has a training certificate for ecdis cannot

demonstrate such operations, then the inspector could detain the
vessel due to a lack of skills for important navigation equipment.
Therefore, it is important for shipowners to ensure ecdis is set up
correctly and that crew have sufficient expertise to demonstrate
how to operate these systems properly.

The first step companies under military contract take is to provide

all crew members with security training which, for prepositioned
ships, is conducted by Navy personnel. The vessels augment these
classes with drills, security audits and on board training. Second,
they maintain a close working relationship and establish
communication protocols with nearby Navy units tasked with their
protection. Finally, they augment crews with security personnel,
often Gurka’s with prior military training, whose primary task is to
maintain a look-out for security threats.