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ETF’s recommendations on training and recruitment in shipping industry to be followed up in European Commission’s task force

20 December 2010

At the final conference of the EU-funded project on training and recruitment in the European shipping industry, the European Commission informed that its Task Force on employment and competitiveness would consider the outcomes of the ETF project to deliver recommendations on the subject in April 2011. The conference, that took place in Genoa on 18 and 19 November 2010, gathered representatives from the European Commission, employers’ organisations, shipping academies and universities and ETF affiliates from 17 European countries. On the basis of the fruitful discussions held at three previous seminars and the closing event of this one-year project, the ETF will produce guidelines on how to deal with the stringent training and recruitment issues in the shipping industry in Europe.

Recruitment of European seafarers by European shipowners
Philippe Alfonso, ETF Political Secretary for Maritime Transport, presented the main problems that stemmed from the project’s debates. “Are there enough Europeans who are willing to work in the shipping industry and can they be offered an attractive career?” he asked. “The project has reaffirmed that this is the case,” he continued. “It is however uncertain whether there are enough European employers who are willing to hire European crews.” The importance of hiring European seafarers is nevertheless very clear. Pia Voss, ECSA (European Community Shipowners’ Associations) spokesperson in the European Social Dialogue said, “If Europe wants to be a leading maritime economy, it has to rely on European seafarers.”

Improve the quality of training
Mark Dickinson, ETF spokesperson of the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Maritime Transport, held a plea to up-skilling the quality of training. He welcomed the Commission’s idea to introduce a certificate of excellence. “However, it is still unclear what strategy would be used to encourage shipping companies to recruit seafarers with such a certificate”, he said. Dirk Hadrich, representative of DG for Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), supported the creation of joint Social Partners Guidelines on training and recruitment and stated that the European Commission would support the Social Dialogue between ETF and ECSA with means and tools enabling the social partners to deliver such joint guidelines.

In general, speakers at the conference made a strong argument for improving and investing on education and on career opportunities, for officers as well as for European ratings. The latter has been neglected for too long, according to the participants of the conference, and need the necessary support enabling them to compete with cheaper labour from the East. “We have to think of ways to facilitate the progress from ratings to officers and to encourage circulation within the maritime cluster, for example by investing more on multi-skilled trainings and managerial skills”, Philippe Alfonso concluded.

Trade unions must be part of the solution
Eduardo Chagas, ETF General Secretary, concluded the seminar by saying, “Innovation is precisely the approach that we adopted when we first conceived such a project, we have to be part of the solution. However, the Commission needs to be an active player in this process.” He ended his conclusions by stressing that the principle of equal work and equal pay has to be respected and applied in maritime transport across Europe. This would also help to retain Europeans in maritime professions.

To read more about the thematic seminars held in the framework of this project, please click on the titles of the articles below, under related press.

Related documents

ETF Seminar Genoa ppt P. Alfonso (136kb PPT) ETF Seminar Genoa ppt Dr. Gatfield (703kb PPT) ETF Seminar Genoa ppt Universities (1090kb PPT) ETF Seminar Genoa ppt V. Svalina B.SC. (162kb PPT)

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