TIM
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TIMeMagazine
eMagazineVol.1
Vol.1Issue
Issue 5
Maritime institutions need to
upgrade Filipino seafarers’ training levels
By: Philip Ortaleza
F
ormer Labor and Employment Secretary Roslainda Dimapilis-Baldoz said that there is a
need to upgrade the training levels of Filipino
seafarers to meet the increasing demand for
seafarers, including specialized officers, in the
global market for the next 10 years.
Citing the Baltic and International Maritime Council
(BIMCO) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)
Manpower Report 2015, Baldoz stressed that the global
demand for seafarers, including officers, is forecasted to
increase until 2025. The report also revealed that there is a
current shortfall of about 16,500 officers (2.1 per cent) and
a need for an additional 147,500 officers by 2025 to service
the world merchant fleet.
The BIMCO/ICS Manpower Report provides comprehensive update on the global manpower situation in the
shipping industry. Issued once in every five years, the
report is based on data gathered from surveys of countries
supplying seafarers, major companies employing seafarers, industry experts, sample seafarers, maritime education and training institutions (METIs), manning agents, and
maritime unions.
The latest report was released on 17 May 2016 during
the Maritime Safety Committee held in London.
“According to the latest BIMCO/ICS Manpower Report,
unless training levels are increased significantly, the
growth in demand for seafarers could generate a serious
shortage in the supply of officers,” added Baldoz.
The global supply of seafarers in 2015 is estimated at
1,647,500 seafarers of which 774,000 are officers. The
supply of officers is forecast to increase steadily, but this
is predicted to be outpaced by increasing demand. Some
officer categories are in especially short supply, including
engineer officers at management level and officers needed for specialized ships such as chemical, liquefied natural
gas and liquefied petroleum gas carriers.
To address this concern, there is really a need for maritime education and training institutions to promote careers at sea, enhance maritime education and training for
Filipino seafarers.
“I encourage our maritime education and training institutions to review their curriculum and improve their training standards to meet the requirements for specialized
ships, including LNG and LPG carriers and chemical tankers, and cruise liners,” she added, noting how the report
highlighted the retention of seafarers is positively seen by
employers in the global maritime industry.
“The preference of the Filipino seafarers to stay in the
profession longer than the average five to 10 years is seen
as an advantage for the Filipino seafarers. It provides comfort for the ship owners who need to ensure the continued
trading of their ships to recover the cost of their investments,” she summed up.
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