Crew retention, young blood keys to address the global shortage of officers

The shipping industry must focus on crew retention and attracting new blood to be able to trim down the global shortage of officers.

Aboitiz Jebsen Managing Director Ole Stene said experts predict the world is still facing a huge shortage of officers onboard international-going vessels which is currently at 40,000.

Stene added that there is also a need for an aggressive advertising campaign to boost the attractiveness of the global shipping industry to people.

“Why is the industry unable to stem this exodus? Why do we struggle to attract ‘new blood’? We must find a pan-industry, global solution,” Stene, who is also past president of InterManager, said.

He said at Aboitiz Jebsen, they focus on crew retention and ensure getting the right people for the right ships.

InterManager also believes in investing in good crew members, as they are essential to good ship management and to the future of shipping.

He explained that the biggest factor in crew retention is job satisfaction.

Also, training should be the goal of any shipping company.

Stene said the players in the shipping industry can give training for cadets—training onboard ship and training for roles ashore—and ensure they have the best crew facilities onboard ships.

He said “the tide is right for a sea-change in our attitude towards our seafarers.”

“We need fixed contracts, give proper benefits, value our staff, reduce poaching, reward good work, and get back to old fashioned values,” he claimed.

“Let’s secure a quality workforce for the future. Let’s work together to attract young people to a career in shipping – a job for life,” he stressed. (Billy Abdon) ?