MARGAO
With prospects of getting a job onboard the ships after completing pre-sea training becoming increasingly difficult, seafarers have urged Union Minister of State for Shipping, Ports and Waterways Shripad Naik to direct the Director, Shipping, to crack a whip on erring training institutes giving false assurances of 100 per cent placement and also on shipping companies who refrain from hiring freshers.
Officer bearers of the Goan Seamen Association of India (GSAI) along with freshers called on the union minister to draw his attention to the scenario getting a job after completing pre-sea training is very tough, with many students undergoing these courses and there aren’t enough ships to place them onboard.
GSAI president Franky Viegas said it is indeed strange that unemployment rate for fresh graduates in merchant shipping is still high, adding while the senior ranked officers have had a smooth going until now, those at the junior level are still struggling.
“Freshly passed out cadets are finding it extremely difficult to get a decent break. Many have jobs. There are many who have taken loans for their maritime training and even have mortgages to clear off. Unfortunately the situation has become a breeding ground for job agents and fraud shipping companies wherein they charge lakhs of rupees. Sadly many have also fallen prey to fraud agents and shipping companies. It indeed is a grim situation where our boys do not know what to do and whom to blame. Maritime academies are churning out cadets and making huge profits irrespective of the market condition”, the delegation stated.
The GSAI delegation has mooted various suggestions, including a suggestion that the DG Shipping, MUI & NUSI in collaboration with FOSMA, MASSA, INSA and shipping companies must source data as to the number of openings available each year for each of the ranks.
“This data can then be compiled into a database which is to be used by DG Shipping to finalize on the intake of candidates that are required to undergo a Pre-Sea Training course per batch per year so that we do not disturb the demand and supply equation. This process is to be further streamlined to ensure candidates join the maritime colleges only through company sponsorship and not directly”, Franky said.
He said exemption should be considered for certain deserving candidates coming up the ranks from rating background and Direct entry candidates by DG Shipping in liaison with Shipping unions (MUI, NUSI), shipping companies whereby a certain percentage of openings should be reserved by Shipping Companies and these candidates to be hired on merit after getting through respective company assessment procedure.
In simple words, Frank has called for striking an equilibrium between the supply and demand of fresh professionals in the marine industry.
Demanding that government authorities should intervene and take concrete steps to solve the issue of unemployment for fresh graduates, the GSAI said it is high time government takes a stand to help the freshly graduated cadets and engineers for getting placed in companies.
