Team Herald
MARGAO: Goan Seamen Association of India (GSAI) urged the Shipping Ministry to crack the whip on Pre-Sea training institutes for giving false assurances of 100 per cent placement and also on shipping companies who refrain from hiring fresher.
GSAI committee members along with fresh pass outs from the maritime training institute met Shripad Naik, Minister of State for Shipping, Ports and Waterways, on Friday and brought to his notice the present-day scenario. They said getting a job after completing Pre-Sea Training is very tough and competitive and there aren’t enough ships to place them on board.
“Jobs are hard to come by although our top management companies are taking over ships by the huge hundred. It seems strange but the unemployment rate for fresh graduates in Merchant shipping is still high. The senior ranked officers have had a smooth going until now however those at the junior level are still struggling,” said Frank Viegas, President GSAI.
There are many who have taken loans for their maritime training and even have mortgages to clear off. Unfortunately the State has become a breeding ground for job agents and fraud shipping companies wherein the charges are in lakhs of rupees, he stated. Sadly many have also fallen prey to fraud agents and shipping companies. It indeed is a grim situation where our boys do not know what to do and whom to blame. Maritime academies are churning out cadets and making huge profits irrespective of the market condition.
GSAI has also suggested that DG Shipping, MUI and NUSI in collaboration with FOSMA, MASSA, INSA and Shipping companies must source data as to the number of openings available each year for each of the ranks, which can be later used by DG Shipping to finalize on the intake of candidates.
“This process is to be further streamlined to ensure candidates join the maritime colleges only through company sponsorship and not directly,” said Viegas.
He said they want to strike equilibrium between the supply and demand of fresh professionals in the marine industry. Government Authorities should intervene and take concrete steps to solve the issue of unemployment for fresh graduates. It is high time our Government takes a stand to help the freshly graduated cadets and engineers for getting placed in companies.
