More on personnel affairs and training of specialists

Staff shortage is one of the most acute problems of the shipbuilding industry. In the 90’s, the majority of shipbuilding entities stood idle and lost a part of their personnel reserve. The better part of specialists left the country and is still working there.

Recently, the government have taken grand steps to develop the Russian shipbuilding. The Federal Target Programme for the Civil Marine Equipment for the Period of 2009-2016 and the Strategy of Development of the Shipbuilding Industry for the Period until 2020 were laid out and approved. Various arrangements for integrating scientific and production and technological potential of the Russian shipbuilding are held. To solve all these tasks, considerable amount of trained specialists is necessary. Unfortunately nowadays, even potent and advanced shipbuilding enterprises feel personnel hunger.

The Issues of Personnel Training

For a long time professional personnel almost was not trained. The majority of school graduates consider technical vocational school education to be second-rate, and thanks to the availability of higher education, enter paid universities. Age gap also influences: the majority of shipbuilders is represented by persons of retirement or preretirement age while available young adults do not have enough experience. That is in practice we observe deficiency of the intermediate group. Loss of the working “framework” will certainly affect authority of shipyards and their production operation, since at least 5 or even more years are necessary to train a skilled worker.

To solve the problem, measures are taken to revival tried-and-true technical vocational school education. Another well-proven form of education and training of fresh blue-collar staff is workplace apprentice training. However, young personnel is often lost because of military service: only 25-35% of technical vocational school graduates return to the old job after it. In case of port cities, ship-repair mechanics, mechanics, lath and welding operators as well as electricians are the most popular on the job markets.
Normal personnel loss the major part of which is related to the navigation one way or another in northern regions amounts to 10-12% annually.

Some shipbuilding facilities attract young people with their own scholarships, recovery of expenditures connected with transportation and subsistence to those students to be employed on graduation from school.

Despite the complicacy of the situation, a number of specialists are still optimistic. “Situation in the shipbuilding industry like in the majority of other industries is far from being perfect. However we have all good grounds to be optimistic. The shipbuilding was recognized as one of the priority industries of the Russian economy. Thus Shipbuilding Holding was organized and the government allocates substantial funds for reconstructing existing shipbuilding and ship-repair enterprises and erecting new shipbuilding yards, including those in the Primorie Territory” – said Professor Nikolay Voskovschuk, Director of the Shipbuilding Institute DVGTU. – “Pace of construction is to be very high. Naturally, multitude of specialists qualified in automated computer-aided technologies of ship design and construction. In this connection in 2009, admission to shipbuilding institutions of higher education was increased by the Resolution of the Government and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. Admission to the leading Russian institute – the State Marine Technical University of Saint-Petersburg – is 5 times bigger now and to our institute – 2.5 times. So, the Shipbuilding Institute DVGTU is one of the guarantors of staff assistance for enterprises of the Far East Shipbuilding Corporation.”

But for now, amid the global crisis and general decline in production, shortage of personnel feels a lot. Thus, in October, 2009, it was announced that 300 engineers lack at Yantar plant.

As per the Russian fleet, the problem of skilled personnel shortage becomes aggravated. Only 9% of 70% of nautical training corps cadets studying for budgetary means go to work at the national fleet. Others strive to find a job on foreign ships.

According to the analysis of the Association of Ports and Ship-Owners of the River Transport, an average of general staffing level in the sector of basic jobs is about 79% and that of blue-collar jobs – 80%. While the staff turnover amounts to 23%.

Staff issue in the shipbuilding is very severe and in the past 20 years it was one of the severest. Amid all possibilities of quick equipment replacement and purchase of new technologies, time is essential for “growing” technically literate staff.

Recruitment

Recruiting firms in port cities (Kaliningrad, Vladivostok, Murmansk, Nizhny Novgorod, and so on) nearly constantly offer open vacancies related to jobs in the fleet. In addition to general recruiting firms, there are specialized staffing companies on the market. Their range of services usually contains assistance to ship-owners with crew selection (in light of their requests, character of navigation, availability of necessary certificates, for example STCW-78/95, etc.) and to candidates. Sometimes the latter are provided with a package of service comprising the following:

remedy to seamen in disputes with ship-owners up to representation of interests;
consultancy, assistance in search for jobs;
assistance in interaction with trade unions, pension funds and other structures;
professional development, assistance in maintaining continuous sea-going service;
aid in employment abroad, interaction with the Federal Migration Service and other services.

Crewing consisting in search for, training and dispatch of seamen stands alone.