Shipowners to boost image

Star Maritime 21 May 2007

Asian shipowners and industry players have pledged to enhance the image of the marine industry to attract more qualified officers to cater to the world’s expanding fleet.
 
The idea was forged at the 6th annual meeting of the Lloyd’s Register Asian Ship Owners Committee in Kuala Lumpur recently.
 
Asia's industry leaders are to play an active role in forming new marine legislations, training seafarers and to engage media-related organisations in enhancing the public's image of shipping.
 
“We must play a more active role in improving how the general public views the shipping industry,” said Lloyd’s Register Asia director John Stansfeld.
 
“Strategies for improving the shipping image to attract high-quality recruits are vital because we are competing against business sectors such as information technology and finance to capture young talents,” he said.
 
The committee, chaired by Pacific International Lines (Pte) Ltd managing director and Singapore Shipping Association president Teo Siong Seng, highlighted the lack of skilled manpower as one of the greatest threats to the commercial viability of the industry.
 
According to a report by the Baltic International Maritime Council and the International Shipping Federation, the global shortage of marine officers would reach 27,000 from the present 10,000 if no efforts were made to address the problem.
 
MISC Bhd fleet management services vice-president Nordin Mat Yusoff said the lack of human capital was a problem not only for the shipping industry, but all industries in Asia at present.
 
Nordin, also Malaysian Ship Owners Association chairman, said the present recruiting strategies of some firms were short-sighted.
 
He noted that rampant staff pinching in the past few years had driven the annual attrition rate for experienced mariners far above traditional level of about 3%.
 
“The industry needs to stop pinching senior officers and executives. We should start investing in training and people development.
 
“We must work together or else this industry will go south-bound. We will have 140 new LNG vessels entering service by 2010. It is a great challenge to fill,” he said. 

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