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Dear Shiptalk Readers,

Welcome to this the October 2007 edition of the Shiptalk newsletter.

Please take your time to read what we have to say this month about issues affecting your everyday lives at sea and do let us know if you have an opinion or comments on any of this month's articles or other issues that you would like to air via Shiptalk.com.

Shiptalk.com……reading you loud and clear

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SHIPTALK LIFE AT SEA SURVEY 2007/08
Rubbing Our Crystal Balls

With shipping facing such a tough time finding and keeping the people it needs there has been a boom in the amount of guesswork washing around our panicked and twitchy industry,

We have all heard speakers trotting out utter conjecture on what lies ahead for our beleaguered industry, but there is rarely any real meat on the bones of even the best arguments. It all seems to be guesswork …and we believe it is time we had some real answers.

The BIMCO/ISF studies are great (if a little frightening), they give us the numbers we need to spot the trends and to hopefully step in and make the necessary changes.

What we are lacking though is the sub-plot behind the numbers, the thinking behind the problems – why aren't people going to sea? Why do they look to move ashore as soon as possible?

Confused? You won't be…Over the next 12 months Shiptalk will embark on the first global comprehensive "Life at Sea Survey".

This groundbreaking look at the realities of life at sea will ask serving seafarers difficult questions that will cut straight to the heart of the manning crisis faced by our industry today.

Shiptalk, assisted in this mammoth task by leading, UK based, maritime market research company Gilmour Research (GRS) will run five short surveys consecutively, each looking at one vital piece of the people puzzle.

The topics for this series of short surveys include:

1) Attraction/Retention
2) Salary and Employment Benefits
3) Qualifications and Training
4) Career Progression
5) Regulatory Effect

The first of these short surveys examining Attraction/Retention will ask seafarers why they chose to pursue a career at sea, what would encourage them to stay at sea or alternatively, what may ultimately force them to leave?

Each of these surveys will be hosted by Shiptalk Recruitment via: www.shiptalkjobs.com/lifeatseasurvey and will run for approximately 2 months or until we have received enough responses. If you are a serving seafarer we would urge you to share your opinions with us today. If you are in contact either professionally or socially with serving seafarers we would ask you to make your friends or colleagues aware of this important study.

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SAFETY/WELFARE
Textual Healing

For those of you who simply thought text messaging existed for those people who have trouble communicating like an adult (and yes that includes us), we were pleased to see that texting has now been used as a tool to help not just the socially inept to get dates, but to allow Filipino seafarers and their families to access counselling services.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has announced that the UGAT Foundation, a Jesuit family-oriented group, has launched the online psycho-spiritual support system dubbed “Daungan", which allows texting to become a new way of reaching support through trained, volunteer counsellors.

“The counselling service is free, but standard call and text rates apply," said Fr. Nilo Tanalega, who heads the program.

Tanalega said “Daungan" offers free confidential counselling, resource articles on psycho-spiritual enrichment, opportunities for formation and active linkages to other seafarers and their families, and trained counsellors.

“Some of the perceived needs that could benefit from an accessible avenue for emotional ventilation are the loneliness due to temporary separation, the emotional numbing from the endless cycles of ‘hellos' and ‘goodbyes', the stress of responsible financial management and even support while fighting the many different temptations," he said.

He neglected to elaborate on just what those temptations may be, but I am sure we can imagine. Mmm…

In addition to the text service, there is a web log (www.daungan.blogspot.com), offering opportunities for seafarers and families of seafarers to give peers support and advice. The site also offers articles, links and forums on a variety of psycho-spiritual topics like Marital/Family Enrichment and Gospel Reflections.

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GENERAL
Wives Demand Recognition

When a seafarer looks back upon a rewarding and successful career, it seems they may have many different people to whom they owe a debt of gratitude…not least of which is “the wife”.

It seems that these oft forgotten female mainstays of the maritime industry are looking the get their just reward for their willingness to send hubby down to the sea, especially in cases where they were abandoned and then divorced.

A Cayman Islands lawmaker is seeking government compensation for the divorced wives of Caymanian seamen as part of a broader effort to recognise the contributions of women to the islands, and to gain recognition of those who may have been “left behind” when the errant seafarers' eye may have wandered.

“Any of the women who may have been separated from or divorced from any seaman is now bereft of that compensation,” said George Town MLA Lucille Seymour. “In many instances a seaman's second wife becomes his widow and embraces all the fortunes including government's compensation.

Health Minister, Anthony Eden called the motion “profound”, and said he believed the former wives of seamen shouldn't be punished because “we wandering men find younger affections.”

Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush also supported the proposal. “This is a laudable notion,” Mr. Bush said. “It's going to be costly, but it has to be looked at.”

Ms Seymour's motion generally seeks to recognise equally the efforts of women during the period in Cayman's history where many men left the island for long stretches in search of employment on merchant ships.

While the men were away, Ms Seymour said the women were forced to run the household, take care of the children, manage money, and sometimes find extra employment to make ends meet.

“Women played a pivotal role of holding Cayman Islands society together while the men were away at sea,” she said.

Amongst additional tributes to the women who held the country together when their men folk were off gallivanting on the ocean waves there is to be a statue erected showing women standing shoulder to shoulder with seafarers.

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Air Shortage

Talk of the “manning crisis” has been boring the pants of most people for the past few years, but it seems that shipping is not alone in feeling the manpower squeeze.

China 's rapidly expanding civil aviation sector is also facing a shortfall, with a shortage estimated to be around 2,000 pilots.

In an attempt to counter this deficit a senior regulatory official said they would try to get more women to consider a flying career.

Gao Hongfeng, deputy head of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, said the country would need an additional 9,000 or more pilots by 2010, as airlines were adding new aircraft at the rate of up to 150 a year.

"But speaking truthfully, we only have the capacity to train about 7,000, leaving us lacking 2,000 pilots," he said on the central government's Web site www.gov.cn.

They will try to cope with this by expanding existing facilities and permitting privately owned training centres, as well as recruiting more foreign pilots, he said.

"We are also very happy to see that many women are so enthusiastic about this industry and want to become part of it," Gao added. "Airlines have opened their doors to this, and the regulator has too."

Some Chinese airlines already have female pilots, and others are training, he said. Gao also went on to saucily add, "I've heard they're quite pretty, though I've not seen them myself".

See that's nice isn't it – not only can female pilots save the day, they also brighten the plane up.

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Captain Chaos

Some people are born with salt water coursing through their veins – the sea is their playground and they are as at home on water as land.

Sadly there are others for whom the sea is nothing but a confounded nuisance, and for whom the only really answer would be to tarmac the lot of it…one such person would perhaps seem to be Commander Nigel Chandler, the skipper of a Royal Navy warship who was relieved of command last month after being branded “professionally incompetent”.

Chandler , 41, was removed from HMS Argyll after twice failing crucial war games tests. He has since been dubbed “Captain Calamity” after he managed to botch vital FOST (Flag Officer Sea Training) exercises.

RN warships and their crews have to undergo FOST tests every 18 months to ensure they keep up to scratch. A senior Navy source said, “We have 60 commanding officers and it is thankfully extremely rare for one of them ever to be removed from command.

“In this case it was felt that the commander was simply not up to the job. He will now be given a desk post and will have to consider his future in the Royal Navy.

“The FOST tests are extremely searching and are designed to find any faults. Failing one FOST is bad enough, to fail two is inexcusable.”

Another Navy source said: “Commander Chandler was immediately labeled Captain Calamity. Top brass are extremely embarrassed.”

Perhaps in light of the mooted navy cuts we may see ever more losing their commands in the face of increasing pressure from both their peers and the system of testing?

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Plastic Navy

Talking of Naval boobs, The Royal Australian Navy is understood to be paying for women sailors to have breast enlargements for purely cosmetic reasons, at a cost to taxpayers of $10,000 an operation.

Aussie Defence officials claim the surgery is justified because some servicewomen need bigger breasts to address "psychological issues".

A plastic surgeon Kourosh Tavakoli based at the very aptly named, “Darling Point “ told the press that the navy had paid for two officers, aged 25 and 32, to have breast-augmentation surgery at his private clinic.

Dr Tavakoli said the women had not been injured but claimed to suffer "psychological" problems. He said, "I know for a fact two patients claimed it back on the navy. They (the navy) knew it was breast augmentation and paid for it. "I don't know why they pay for it. There's no breast augmentation that I know of, for medical purposes. You've got to be fair to yourself."

A Defence spokesman admitted cosmetic surgery occurred at "public expense" when there were "compelling psychological/psychiatric reasons", but refused to say how many such cases were taxpayer-funded.

Australian Defence Association spokesman Neil James defended the practice of taxpayers funding medical procedures such as breast enhancement surgery for psychological reasons.

James said young men and women were attracted to defence careers because they offered free medical care. This, in turn, improved the efficiency of the force. "Just as there are in civilian life, there are some females who feel their breasts are too small and if their breasts were bigger, they might be more of a 'normal' woman," Mr James said.

He went on to add, "If they were lacking in self-confidence, this might provide the measure of self-confidence that would help them tackle their wider job”.

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Lloyds List Awards

As the nights draw in, it seems we have reached the “Awards” season again, as shipping overlooks its woes and slaps the backs of the great and good.

The North American Maritime Ministry Association (NAMMA) announced that ExxonMobil/SeaRiver Maritime Inc. and Lloyd's List are the recipients of this year's maritime ministry awards, which are given to those that demonstrate a commitment to benefit seafarers.

Lloyd's List, and the dedicated contributions of Julian Bray, Michael Grey and Rajesh Joshi, is set to receive the “Joe R. Gerson Humanitarian Award” for their efforts on behalf of seafarers.

“Lloyd's List continually supports the seafarer by highlighting risks they encounter, the environment in which they work, and keeps the industry on its toes in valuing their worth”, stated Mrs. Whittingham-Lamont. “They are dogged in keeping the spotlight on “best and worst practices”.

The awards were presented by IMO Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos at the NAMMA Awards Luncheon held as part of World Maritime Day Observance.

We congratulate Lloyd's List for their ongoing efforts, and are very pleased to see them rightly recognised and rewarded…but please don't think for a minute that Shiptalk was left out of the awards spotlight.

Oh no, far from it. In a moving event, which granted may have lacked some Yankee stardust, your very own Shiptalk Editor was awarded a pint of Bitter and packet of crisps for the particularly fine newsletter last month.

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All Bunged Up

When you are in a tight corner you know that there are only a few super heroes fit to come to the rescue.

For one US Coast Guard rescue crew last month you can forget your Super and Spider men, they called upon a higher power in the form of “Sponge Bob Square Pants”

When the crew of the 25-foot “Clam Juice” contacted their local US Coast Guard Station via VHF to report their vessel was rapidly taking on water no one could have guessed that a cartoon character would save the day.

The USCG launched a response boat and rescue crew, which arrived on scene within minutes, and removed two crewmembers from the “Clam Juice”.

Two Coast Guard crewmembers then boarded the stricken vessel and began pumping the estimated 2,000 gallons of water out of the hull.

Once the water was pumped out, a large crack in the vessel's exhaust pipe was revealed as the source of the flooding. This left the crew in something of a dilemma, as they desperately needed something to plug the exhaust hole, and rescuers began searching the vessel for something round that would fit the bill.

"Gee, I sure wish we had our football," said Petty Officer Second Class Daniel Bartholomew of the rescue crew. This prompted a crewmember aboard the “Clam Juice” to grab a Sponge Bob Nerf football that was down below.

True to Sponge Bob's character, the squishy football sealed the hole perfectly and allowed the “Clam Juice” to be towed to a near-by Yacht Yard for more permanent repairs.

Hooray! In a weirdly prescient description on Wikipedia it states, “When Sponge Bob puts his mind to a job, he will stick to it almost religiously, and go to extreme lengths to accomplish it”.

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Sea Horses

Criminals attempting to escape by water across the Canada-US border could be in for a surprise when they find themselves pursued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

The programme, called Operation Shiprider, has been in operation since September 2005 to target organised crime on both sides of the Canada-US border, and gives police the authority to act as law enforcement officers in another country.

In a statement, the RCMP said this is about the viability of developing a longer-term joint Canada-US programme for stronger maritime law enforcement and emergency response. There is likely therefore to be an ever greater combined RCMP-USCG effort to detect, monitor, pursue and board suspect vessels in US and Canadian waters.

As animal lovers, this naturally caused us some concern – it is all well and good sending the Mounties to sea, but won't someone think of the horses?

Fear not, we have it on good authority, from our very own Shiptalk Vet that some horses really do like a bit of paddling. “Oh they love it”, he said…and that was good enough for us.

So there you are the Mountie always gets his man – whether on land or sea…

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CAREERS
New Jobs& Record Intake Due To Marine Industry Growth

16 new jobs are being created at the Marine College at South Tyneside College to cope with the highest enrolment levels for decades thanks to growth in the marine industry.

Gary Hindmarch, head of the Marine College at South Tyneside College , said:

“The College already has an unrivalled reputation across the globe for the quality of its marine training, but this year we have seen an unprecedented rise in enrolment figures.

“Over the last four years the number of new ship deliveries has increased by 40% to meet global demand - and the number of people entering the marine industry has also rapidly grown.

“Our enrolment reflects this trend. This year over 350 school leavers will start maritime training schemes with us, pushing enrolment levels to 60% higher than those last seen in the 1970's ‘boom time'. As well as these new starters, over 200 students will study for Officer of the Watch qualifications.

“As a result of this increased demand, we are creating 16 new lecturing and support jobs and expanding our training and accommodation facilities. This year alone we have invested £600k in our marine facilities to include a new bridge simulation unit and increased workshop facilities.

“This is helping the College to meet local and international demand for management courses and enables us to ensure the UK workforce retains and improves its onboard effectiveness.

“We are committed to increasing and strengthening our international business. And are forming closer links with regional organisations to ensure the skills base of this area can support and attract the increasing trade across the maritime and offshore sectors.

“An increase which is likely to continue over the next three years, as the benefits of a career at sea receive more and more national publicity.”

For further information contact Judy Stirling at South Tyneside College , on (0191) 427 3566 or email judy.stirling@stc.ac.uk

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We Don't Need No Stinking Courses

There has been something of a training storm brewing out in The Philippines over the past month, with The Professional Regulation Commission ( PRC ) making moves to require seafarers to take an additional management-level course (MLC).

Rather surprisingly this call has been greeted with condemnation in certain circles, with prominent politicians coming out to decry what seems to us a rather sensible suggestion.

One Senate member, Aquilino Pimentel Jr said he found “no justifiable reason for the additional subject requirement”.

It seems much of the disagreement rests on the issue of course fees, it has been estimated that the courses will cost P42,000 (around US$900) for marine deck course and P52,000 (around US$1100) for engine course. While there has also been criticism that much of the course is claimed to be a repetition of topics already part of four to five-year marine deck and marine engineering courses". Another to slam the requirement has been former Subic Bay Freeport leader, Senator Richard J. Gordon.

In a recent speech he pointed out, “When the Professional Regulations Commission decree that our seafarers need additional courses and time in school over and above what other countries require of their seamen, we must bluntly ask: Why is this being done? Why single out the merchant marine profession for this stricture?”

Those who decry the scheme claim that The Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping Convention (STCW) do not require the MLC. They stress that foreign employers do not require the course as a condition for employment, and cast suspicion that this is simply a money making exercise by certain maritime training colleges.

While these statements may well be true they hint at certain lack of understanding of the wider issues at play. According to the Maritime Training Council (MTC), while the Philippines has been the leading supplier of seafarers in the international market with almost 250,000 seamen working in international commercial fleets, only three percent of them are in the management level positions.

Sadly you can't have your bibingka and eat it…either Filipinos work on overcoming the barriers to management promotion or they don't. There is no point bemoaning the perceived “Glass Deck Head” which stifles upward progression, but then fighting the very measures that could allow young officers to break through it.

Sure money is an issue, especially if individuals have to fund this extra requirement themselves, but perhaps instead of moaning about it the government should step in and subsidise the training? After all senior OFW's will bring in much more money to the country than junior ones.

This seems to us a case of politicians not truly understanding the need for the courses, and simply jumping on the band wagon at a time when it is would be far better to encourage and explore any way of readying their seafarers for the highest echelons of shipboard management.

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Sweet Smell of Success

Filipino seafarers are renowned for many things, and their almost peerless practical seafaring abilities and sunny dispositions make them wonderful pillars of the modern maritime industry.

However one oft forgotten facet of the Filipino skill set was been highlighted recently, when a top official of the Philippines ' Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) stressed that it was the Filipinos' love of baths which has been advantageous to the country's seafarers in terms of employment opportunities.

"Filipinos are recognized for their exceptional hygiene and personal grooming," Roger Peyuan, TESDA deputy director general for field operations, said in a press conference.

Peyuan added: "This practice of ours has not escaped shipping companies who appreciate nice-smelling employees."

He quipped that Filipinos were well-known for their cleanliness, "in contrast to other nationalities who do not prioritize everyday personal hygiene."…and no, he didn't elaborate on who the “funkiest” seafarers are, though I think I once sailed with him.

Peyuan also said that aside from their good grasp of the English language, Filipino seafarers are sought after because of their humility and respectfulness.

"Filipino seafarers are also cool-headed and do not figure in many fights or brawls," the TESDA official said.

Quite a lot for other labour supply nations to live up to. Good looking, calm, assured, good language skills and a sweet, sweet fragrance…that'll sure take some beating!

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WISTA Whispers

Indeed the very question of why the maritime industry is effectively denying itself access to half the available population of potential seafarers was asked at the Women's' International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) meeting in Copenhagen last month.

It is especially puzzling as the number of women working in shipping ashore has continued to rise quite considerably, yet the number packing their bags and heading off to sea remains sadly modest.

There are some notable exceptions, and some countries do indeed have a strong success rate at putting females into cadetships, before seeing them qualify and serve as junior officers. Sadly, however, the progress seems to stop there, as so few advance to become senior officers, or to gain command.

Many try to view the issue of female recruitment in isolation, and ask why don't they want to come to sea? Why don't they stay in the career when they do? It would seem that the question is not so much one of sex, more one of the benefits and attractions of the job itself on offer.

The US Navy appears to have no problem attracting women – so its patently not the old fashioned idea that “oooh the dirty job is too tough”, or that the idea of spending months with a load of male seafarers is slightly repellent (even sweet smelling Filipinos). Nor does it seem anything to do with family life.

If we want to attract more women to sea it seems that the answer is to make the job more appealing, make the career path more clear cut and to make the profile of a career at sea something to be proud of, and aspire to. In addition we should highlight the successful women who indeed do go to sea, and who have made a real success of their shipboard career. Indeed, role models are a very important recruitment tool, and should never be overlooked.

Also lets face it, if we are struggling to attract men to sea, what chance have we got of seducing women, erm to sea?

At so many conferences, ship owners, managers and the rest of the industry all look blankly and shrug their shoulders at the dearth of young people coming into shipping. The time is here for us to all look at ourselves, our role in shaping the industry and ask whether we would send our children to sea (whatever their gender), if the answer is “no”, then we have to ask why and then change the negatives around and shape a new vibrant safe, secure, clean and heck even an exciting and enjoyable industry to wok in.

While the news is full of fatigued seafarers, collisions, abandonment and criminalisation we can't really expect anyone with half a brain to want to come to sea.

Reduce the stress, make the environment, the lifestyle and social life better, obliterate bad owners who abandon their crews and raise the standards so only the best and proudest are able to take command – then we will have young men and women looking to get a piece of the action knocking the door down to get in.

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Faking It

As the world wrestles with the incompetence of even many legitimate officers, it seems that we are only beginning to scratch the surface of those operating ships under false documentation.

Last months saw the capture and interrogation of three suspects in India , in connection with fake Continuous Discharge Certificates (CDCs).

The investigation has thus far revealed that that they sold more than 1,000 fake CDCs over the past three years. “There could be at least a thousand illegitimate people aboard Indian ships across the world,” said UK Rathod, senior police inspector of the Ghatkopar unit of the Mumbai crime branch.

In a major operation last month the Crime Branch seized 228 CDCs, 1,645 certificates for firemen and mechanics and 57 government seals from the three detainees.

The police have also found that the suspects had sold fake certificates in the name of four major shipping institutions in Mumbai — BP Marine Academy, Ocean Education & Research Centre, Yak Management & Marine Education Centre and ARK Marine Academy. The CDCs were sold for Rs2,000 (US$50), while the other certificates were sold for Rs400 (US$10).

Explaining the modus operandi, Rathod said, “The racketeers would lure people with fake certificates outside the institute which trains seamen”.

Fake CDCs of eight countries — India , Bahamas , Marshall Islands , Panama , and Honduras have been recovered from the suspects.”

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Less people, more problems

You didn't honestly think you'd get away with only one mention of the phrase of the moment; “Manning Crisis” did you?

Oh there is plenty more whinging to come, never you fear.

In life, they say that at the end of the day you only get the friends you deserve – and in many ways that applies to employees too.

Think about it, does shipping deserve to be in a better state? Have we nurtured, invested and applied any long term “management” process to the pursuit of manning over the past ten years? The answer, aside from some very isolated companies and sectors, would have to be a resounding “No”.

If the majority of owners had applied the same enthusiasm, and zeal in retaining officers, as they have to finding ever more eclectic sources of man power, then perhaps we would be in a rather more healthy position.

You may be sat at your desk thinking, “Ooooh Shiptalk is a little morbid this month”, but hey don't take our word for it, there are plenty of experts out there starting to bring the hammer of condemnation down on our already beleaguered industry.

Last months International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) meeting, for instance, was one such arena that gave a resounding warning of, “a vicious circle” being created by the alleged neglect by shipowners of crewing standards.

Owners be warned, there is nothing more frightening than a twitchy insurer… especially when underwriters look to the moral high ground to ensure their policy holders don't get all “risky” on them.

In the vigorous debate over causes for the rise in major full and partial losses many are blaming shipowners for ignoring the issues in favour of simply looking to asset trade and pursue high freight rates.

John Poulson, president of the New York office of surveyors Noble Denton, blasted the perceived, "gradual erosion of professionalism, where we need to see it most, at sea”.

Mr Poulson went on, "Many ships of poor standard are allowed to continue trading when they should have been scrapped, leading in turn to greater competition between too many ships, leading to cheaper and cheaper crews in an effort to remain competitive. This is a self-defeating vicious circle, if ever there was one."

Phew, but he didn't stop there, and added: "If the industry continues to hand the fate of seafaring over to those who actively encourage its relegation to a third world occupation, where and how will we position the rest of the industry?”

He stressed that shipping was an, “insured risk blighted from the start", and pointed the finger squarely at the lack of investment in people and training which in the space of 30 years changed the face of the industry completely, and perhaps permanently.

The IUMI conference even went on to suggest that as the industry is facing radical manning change, we may even seen the end of the "hands on" practical seagoing marine engineer.

So at least there are some positives…

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Two Steps to the Future

Despite the gloom there are those who are not simply pointing out uncomfortable and “inconvenient truths”, some are looking to actually get moving with some answers too.

One idea floated by Anglo-Eastern Ship Management recently has been the call for a minimum of two cadets per ship to be mandatory on each ship.

According to Pradeep Chawla, two cadets is “the minimum intake required to sustain the supply of human resources in the maritime industry and perhaps, the only way to prevent future shortages is to make two cadets, a mandatory requirement in the manning scales for ships!”

Capt Chawla also noted that despite dire warnings of officer shortages, “The warnings fell on deaf ears”, and he lambasted the industry as a whole for ignoring the calls to recruit more cadets and spend on training.

With the dire predictions of the past seemingly becoming bleaker by the day Chalwa pointed out that the situation is the same in all crewing centres of the world. “Every officer can find a job easily”. He added, “Owners/mangers with small fleets hardly have the choice of ‘selecting' good quality officers. They have to take whoever is available, and on the conditions demanded by the seafarer.”

Now you see that very quote points out where the true problem lies. We are desperate for people, and yet companies still don't feel comfortable offering terms that are actually attractive to these prospective employees. Good people make demands of their employers – that is the way the world works, and until shipowners understand that they can't expect to hold all the aces, all the time, we are going to remain a really unattractive industry to come into.

Capt Chawla also spoke about the future of India as a crew supplying nation. He optimistically noted that many young Indians still want to go to sea. He said: “As an example of the high demand for seafaring career in India , in August 2008, we received over 2,000 applications for 300 trainee vacancies that we advertised for!”

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SEAGOING VACANCIES
Current Seagoing Vacancies

ShiptalkJOBS.com would like to welcome their newest featured company BP Maritime Services Singapore.

BP Maritime Services Singapore have asked us to communicate their recruitment vision to prospective candidates.

"BP Maritime Services Singapore is the employer of all seafaring officers who sail on BP Shipping vessel's. Our primary goal is to recruit and retain highly qualified and highly motivated seafarers and to offer them an opportunity to reach their full potential through dedicated career mentoring advisors - Performance & Development Officers - supported by dedicated HRM Professionals. This is an innovative approach in terms of seafaring officers and is true recognition of the valuable role that our officers play in our success.  There are also sound business reasons for this approach - highly motivated professionals will enhance the safe and efficient operation of our vessel's and add value to BP Shipping and BP Group's global reputation. Our talent management approach to our seafarers will result in a step change improvement in our safety and operational performance  and our seafarers will come to be seen as the benchmark for the industry.   We will develop high potential & high performing officers and there will be opportunities for development, career progression and advancement both within BP Shipping and the wider BP Group."

If you have any tanker experience look out for the BP opportunities on ShiptalkJOBS.com today!

Jobseekers Register Here    Recruiters Register Here

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SHORE BASED VACANCIES
Current Shore Based Vacancies

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WHAT'S ON WHERE?

2nd Maritime HR and Crew Development Conference October 24- 25 2007

ACIs 2nd Maritime HR and Crew Development Conference will address the key issues in crewing and training within the maritime sector, focussing on strategies to address and overcome imminent crew shortages, boost crew retention and improve crew performance through effective training and development. The event will also consider the benefits and challenges of taking a demand-led approach to crewing shortages, examining key technologies and strategies to overcome the industry's key hurdle to boosting productivity and profitability.

The programme focuses on:

How do you tackle crew shortages?
Strategies to source skilled crew
Latest developments and best practices in training
Taking a demand-led approach

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The 8th Asia-Pacific Manning & Training Conference

Tuesday 13th - Friday 16th November 2007 The Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Manila.

Returning once again to the Philippine Plaza Hotel in Manila , Lloyd's List event is delighted to announce the 8th Asia-Pacific Manning & Training Conference.

Supported by other events during a full week of manning & training activity the conference will address the reality that shipping is facing greater challenges in manning & training than ever before.

Training & retaining sufficiently well qualified seafarers & preventing further erosion of maritime skills will be the key focus of the conference - already a major concern for the industry with shortages leading to spiraling wage costs.

The conference will cover the need for investment in human resources plus corporate, social & environmental responsibility. Industry leaders & experts will also assess the regime of increasing & changing regulation - even criminalisation - which seafarers have to contend with.

After the main conference, against the backdrop of crew quality issues in the wake of manning shortages, an interactive workshop will undertake an 'Assessment of Crew Competence'.

As well as the educational benefits of the pre & post event workshops, the conference & accompanying exhibition will offer outstanding opportunities for you to network & discuss common issues with leading industry experts & peers.

Manning & Training week is enhanced by the first IFSMA Forum on the Revised STCW. The Philippine Manning Convention will also host their own event preceding the 8th Asia-Pacific Manning & Training Conference.

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6th Edition of Gulf Maritime Exhibition

Expo Centre Sharjah from April 21 st – 23 rd 2008

The sixth edition of the Gulf Maritime Exhibition, the Middle East 's premier maritime event dedicated to meeting the complete sourcing requirements of the commercial, government, leisure, and the military maritime sectors, will be held at Expo Centre Sharjah from April 21-23, 2008 .

The three-day exhibition, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, is being organised by Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

Among the exhibits at the event will be the complete range of deck machinery and other vessel equipment, docking equipment, electronics, communication and navigation systems, engine and propulsion systems, fuel and lubricants, ride control systems, sound and vibration control systems, marine interiors, paints and coatings, latest vessel building designs and technology, equipment for fishing, offshore support vessels, cargo ships, tankers, tugs, ferries, and patrol boats, Ship repair and port operations products, and cargo handling services.

Besides featuring a unique exhibit profile, the 2008 edition of the Gulf Maritime Exhibition will host a series of one hour each product presentation seminars and several focused forums and conferences on the sidelines. Whereas the seminar sessions will be an effective marketing tool for gathering potential clients and presenting them with new products and services, the conferences and seminars will be an avenue to introspect on the crucial issues facing the regional maritime sector.

The Gulf Maritime Exhibition has so far had five highly successful editions.  Today, the event is undoubtedly the region's most established maritime trade platform. The maritime sector not only perceives it as an ideal market entry vehicle for the Middle East but also considers it to be an effective networking tool, which is absolutely necessary in the face of the current highly competitive industry environment. 

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