SSG No 10 - Shipgaz

The Estonian example
No hinders
so far
❯
The labour shortages affecting many
spheres in Estonia have not yet hindered
shipping. But the small population
increase in the early 1990s is now beginning
to affect the number of entrants to
the Estonian Maritime Academy and that
is why the country could experience
shortages of seafarers some time during
the next decade.
New career opportunities
As more passenger vessels appear, the
career opportunities for seafarers improve.
While before the appearance of
the new Tallink ships under the Estonian
flag one could often witness a young captain
with the first officer of the same age
and without much hope of a promotion,
now several dozen officers can look forward
to new career opportunities. For
instance, when the Superfast ferries were
brought under the Estonian flag, six new
tions the most common way of getting a
job:
“I think most students try to get a job at
the company where they had their last
practical training period.”
Cadet positions
This underlines the necessity of making
sure there are sufficient numbers of positions
for cadets in the merchant fleet.
“Our problem is over supply of cadets,
and therefore a big problem of getting
cadets onto ships for practical training”,
says Adolf Wysocki, secretary general of the
Polish Shipowners’ Association.
“But what is also very important is that
young people are still considering it a
future career opportunity to work at sea,
and they are still applying to our academies.”
In the booming Norwegian oil and gas
MADLI VITISMANN
sector the problem is partly the same, but
the shortage more acute.
“In the next two years Teekay needs 230
experienced officers, in 2007 we have 210
places for cadets in our fleet. But our problem
lays in the fact that it will take ten
years before these cadets can take up the
positions we need them to fill right now”,
says Rolf Axelsen at Teekay in Grimstad.
Brain drain
With the great difference in wage costs
between eastern and western Europe and
not enough experienced officers in the
western parts of the continent, there is a
risk that Poland and other eastern nations
would suffer from brain drain when companies
from the west can offer higher
salaries.
“We do not suffer that much from that,
but of course the most efficient and most
SHIPPING AND SHIP MANAGEMENT
Matriculation ceremony for the new students at the Estonian Maritime
Academy last autumn.
captains were required immediately, as
well as countless other crewmembers.
However, the general labour shortages
may tend to limit the number of seafarers.
Crew members are often motivated
not only by the salary, but by the work in
two-week shifts on the proximity lines,
leaving them sufficient leisure time.
On cargo vessels owned by Estonian
shipping companies but carrying foreign
flags, one can see not only Estonian seafarers,
but also crew members from Russia,
Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, and as
long as no certain net wages for seafarers
have been enforced, one should not
expect to see Estonian ships worked
exclusively by Estonian seafarers.
madli vitismann
It will take ten years before
these cadets can take up
the positions we need them
to fill right now.
educated officers are
not working for Polish
companies anymore.
We have had a problem
with the language,
and what we see now
is foreign companies
coming in to offer
cadets a position and
even language training
if they sign longer contracts”,
says Adolf
Wysocki.
Rolf Axelsen,
head of Human
Resources at
Teekay.
SCANDINAVIAN SHIPPING GAZETTE • MAY 21, 2007 29
PAUL G UNNSTEDT