The training, as we all know, is the base for our career path, safety, quality and survival. We all   remember our days in   schools and colleges and cherish the memories. We, similarly, remember
the lessons, procedures,  tips, precautions etc. learnt during our training very often, while on the
job onboard a vessel.  Training is thus a very vital part of the seafarers'life. Good training gives better   confidence, better  efficiency, enhances productivity, ensures quality and above all assures safety.

The equipments we operate and the vessels we navigate costs a lot of money to its owners. Any failure caused by human error is detrimental to seafarers life, consignment and environment. It is therefore, mandatory to raise the standards of training. The standards are to be raised in terms of experienced trainers, reading material, practical and real equipments and simulators. The established companies are already realizing the benefits of better training and taking initiatives to train their manpower on latest simulators.

Presently, the shipping industry as a whole and Indian Shipping industry in particular is reeling under severe manpower crisis. The owners and vessel operators are now ready to spend generously towards the training. The sponsorships of fresh cadets, very hard to get about 5 years back is readily available to every trainee in any training institute. The Govt. is also doing its best to curtail the manpower crisis, by introducing suitable policy guidelines. The training Institutes are upbeat about their sudden demand and are trying to cope up with the demand.

But we need to evaluate whether the changes introduced in training standards and govt policies are a patch-up job to absorb the crisis or a real development to sustain the growth of seafarers, both in terms of quality and quantity. We need to seek the answers to the following questions:

1. How many GP ratings, passed out from training institutes get the job? Well, everyone knows that the percentage is very low. Then why are they being trained? If it is for future manpower requirements, then what efforts are being made and who is taking the intitiativ to get them employed. If such an effort is not imminent, then aren't we generating excess trained seafarers? All at the cost of candidates who might have spent a fortune, perhaps by selling his parent's property to get his dream job.

2. What percentage of rural population gets into seafaring profession from all over India? Well, it is clear that the numbers are negligible. Then why we are not focusing on rural areas? After all, the real growth lies in the overall growth of all sections of the nation.

3. What steps the Government is taking to induct poor and needy people spread around the country into seafaring profession?

4. How many training seminars take place in our country in an year for creating an awareness and networking amongst companies, institutes, government and seafarers. If that takes place, they are hosted by foreign bodies, without focus on national growth and the cost will be sky high.

While we seek the answers from various sections of our fraternity, here are some suggestions, which can bring some changes in the quality and also can be answer to curtail the man power crisis in future:

1. Focus should be given to spreading the word in rural areas to join the merchant navy. Care should be taken that the process do not cater to middleman money makers. The system should be direct and simple. The rural people will bring in the responsibility and loyalty with them.

2. Bring down the fee structure of the basic training. It should be affordable to a common man.

3. The Government should form a pre-sea training regulatory body to control the number of trainees   being trained in a particular year for each category. This will serve as a guideline to MTIs for their   future planning. This will also reduce the un-employment level amongst trained seafarers, in
various categories.

4. Everyone is presently focusing on deck cadets and junior engineer training for cargo ship and tanker training. Other types vessels like Dredger staff, offshore vessels staff, Cruise ship hotel staff etc are being neglected. The training of such staff should be focused in order to have all round development and strengthening our platform in the international seafarers market.

The abovementioned does not mean that we have a poor training structure, but in any developed structure there are always ways to improve further. We have come a long way and have progressed a lot, particularly in the last 10 years. This is both due to efforts of many ship management companies and some very prominent seafarers. The Govenement has been also very supportive.

When we think about some outstanding people from our fraternity, who made considerable contribution for raising the training standards of seafarers, Capt. Ajay Achuthan's name comes amongst the front runners.

Capt. Ajay Achuthan, who passed out from TS Rajendra in the year 1976 belongs to 3029th batch. He qualified all his career courses in time and aquired Extra Masters in 1993. Rose to the rank of Master in 1986. he started his career with Shipping Corporation of India and sailed on various types of vessels. He started his teaching profession in 1991 at Lal Bahadur Shatri College of Nautical Science and today, he is heading the MASSA maritime academy as Principal. Under his leadership, MASSA Maritime has progressed and earned a name with regard to quality training.

Jobships.com is proud to have Capt. Ajay Achuthan as its Homepage Guest. Please read on and take clues for your career advancements.

Meanwhile, enjoy your vacations.

Wishing you all happy sailing.

Durgpal S. Solanki
CEO, Jobships.com
Emal : durgpal at jobships.com