impact of the COVID-19 pandemic , badly affected the SBSR sector resulting in a low ebb in business growth . In addition , the drop in oil prices , that occurred before the pandemic arrived , made matters even worse . Referring to Brent Crude Oil Chart for the last three months ( July-Oct 2020 ), the average price was USD42 per barrel iv . It is still struggling to climb above the USD50 mark .
The drop in oil prices is bad enough as it has a direct and indirect impact on the supporting industries such as refineries , ships carrying crude , ports , production-related assets such as offshore support vessels , work boats , marine leisure and floating maintenance vessels and equipment suppliers and above all human capital resources . Coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic , the situation has been aggravated .
In light of the human resource predicament , a few issues that come to mind are related to the workforce , including management , supervisors and manual workers . In normal times , graduate engineers who possess an engineering degree in any discipline of engineering related to the SBSR , would enter the business as a technical executive and slowly climb the ladder to become senior technical executive and subsequently to management positions such as Manager , General Manager and Senior General Manager . This would be the ideal situation if everything remained equal .
CURRENT SITUATION
Although the prospects of climbing up the ladder career-wise in the SBSR sector for engineers are encouraging , in the current situation it is not the case as entry level positions for graduate engineers are rare . Such is the dilemma facing young folks attempting to start a career as an engineer in the SBSR sector . If one were to rummage through the messy circumstances , challenges are evident and these are the issues that need to be identified and addressed .
The impact of the drop in oil price caused the reduction in demand for vessels globally . Closer to home there was a serious knock-on effect on the manufacturing entities that produce the equipment and materials for the construction of such vessels and the shipyards that produce them . Shipyards and manufacturers alike are losing business and eventually they will have no choice but to lay off their workers . The material producers too will suffer the same fate . Business owners will have difficulty in paying bank loans and mortgages . Once their reserves deplete , they too will have to take drastic action in reducing operating costs by laying off workers and cutting operating time resulting in reduced productivity .
In summary , the labour situation is poor and is a definite outcome of the various contributing factors resulting in the decline in the number of employed persons . In the current economic situation it is difficult for companies to create employment opportunities for the population and the SBSR sector is not excluded . The Government is however not letting the situation prevail but is taking steps to improve it . Among these is the award of SBSR-related contracts for Government agencies such as the Royal Malaysian Navy ( RMN ), Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency ( MMEA ), Royal Malaysian Police ( RMP ) and many more . By releasing such contracts , the industry can bounce back and indirectly assist in improving the nation ’ s economy and at the same time begin employing more graduate engineers who are seeking jobs .
CHALLENGES
Having identified some of the challenges impacting directly on human capital issues , how would the fresh young graduate manage to secure a job ? What does the graduate have in his pocket to offer as ‘ assets ’? What does he need to do to bridge the gap ? These are some of the questions that require answers to .
THE GRADUATE ENGINEER A young graduate fresh out of University / College would have little to offer apart from the engineering degree certificate and the knowledge gained through formal education and maybe a few weeks of industrial training at most . Graduates may have a very highly motivational drive and be eager to try out their newly acquired knowledge . In addition they may possess some interpersonal skills picked up during their formative years in University . Their best offer is engineering knowledge plus a few other skills . Some may even be worried about
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