Career transitions: an agenda

Normally, this is a criticism levelled by vessel owners/operators but given that the international ports industry often absorbs a considerable number of personnel originally trained for a seafaring role then it is a criticism that perhaps has wider implications. And it is one that doesn’t just apply to the more developed economies – complaints on this topic have been voiced by both the younger industrialised nations and a number of emerging economies. “It is not glamorous enough, ” is one complaint that can be heard fairly frequently.

This disaffection is, therefore, a trend to monitor and to react to according to the particular position of your market sector and your organisation’s role within it.

Perhaps equally important in the employment equation is the ongoing consolidation in the liner sector – P&O Nedlloyd with Maersk and CP Ships with Hapag Lloyd just to name two recent developments in this respect.

And then, of course, there is globalisation or what can in this instance be called following the principle of outsourcing – which while having many positive aspects to it is undoubtedly resulting in fundamental structural changes in the employment market.

This, in brief, is the evolving picture in the maritime sector employment market – a picture that, dependent on location and the specific sector of activity, will require some adapting to.

Having said all this, what industry worth its salt has ever been known to stand still and even if the structural changes underway have some negative implications it is highly unlikely that the picture is a totally bleak one – “every cloud has a silver lining” as the old adage goes.

In short, what needs to happen is for our industry to adapt – as it has done in the past to technology, work practices, market forces and a range of other macro and micro elements. And one feature of this viewed by the author as extremely important is ditching what can be called, “a silo mentality.”

CVS AND SILOS Experience tells us that a number of executives in different parts of the world affected by the consolidation in the liner industry and other changes are actively considering new roles and contacting specialist agencies, such as our own, to assist them with this career planning.

Generally, however, their focus remains within the liner sector. It takes some questioning and alternative suggestions before these “candidates” start to consider other maritime sectors including the port and terminal sector. From the candidate side it is clear that there is a lack of comprehension and proper understanding about how valuable their expertise might be if taken into an inter-related sector – for instance, from the liner sector to the port/terminal arena.

And there is a similar situation on the other side of the fence.

Feedback from the HR Manager of a major UK ports network confirms that the recruitment focus of his group tends to be from within the ports sector itself and that there is something of a great divide – the silo mentality – between the ports and liner sector. He suggests that one reason may be that today’s executives have far less time to think strategically – hence by implication providing something of a rationale for the growth of external executive coaching. He further suggested that different sectors need to work more on career planning with greater interaction and skill sharing between the different sectors.

Margaret Pickworth, formerly HR Director for P&O Ports, also adds to this debate by noting that while there may not be as many common skills and experience between the liner and ports sectors as people assume, there are still obvious areas of overlap and opportunities. She clearly thinks that to achieve the transition from one sector to another properly – is something that has to be worked at from the outset. Typically, for instance, she points out that the role of Operations Director for a terminal is far more complex than its liner counterpart due to the complex labour management and union issues involved – there is in effect a new “culture” that has to be asorbed at several critical levels.

At P&O Ports, Pickworth elaborates, they actively used to recruit from the liner side and ran their own in-house training programme covering terminal performance and resource management with the latter addressing; equipment and labour, terminal design supported by simulation and modelling processes.

Even so they still found it took a couple of years before executives were fully effective in their new role.

This seems to be a proactive approach to developing the right human resources and it is to be commended in this time of change.

STEPPING STONES FOR SEAFARERS The specialised employment agency that the author heads up is often contacted by Master Mariners who have invested a considerable amount of their own time and money, and given up their income, whilst they study for a maritime related MBA or equivalent. They do so expecting this to be their stepping stone ashore. They invariably approach an agency for advice when they are told by potential employers that, despite their new found qualification, without relevant shore-based experience, employers are not interested. Clearly, more needs to be done to provide stepping stones to allow seafarers to bring their considerable experience to shore-based roles.

Everyone involved needs to recognise that it’s not necessarily academic qualifications that are needed, a Master Mariner Class One ticket should be recognised as the degree level qualification that it is and this should be “accepted” in this context. It’s a combination of commercial business skills training with an industry placement programme that allows seafarers to build up the right level of accredited commercial business experience that is required.

JOINED UP CAREER PLANNING Since its launch in the UK by the Chamber of Shipping, the Sea Vision programme, has successfully promoted the professional career path opportunities that exist ashore & afloat and has highlighted the vital role that the maritime sector plays in the UK today. As a consequence, UK schools and colleges are becoming more aware of the career opportunities that the maritime industry has to offer. Having started to achieve the Sea Vision objectives, the next objective needs to be a greater emphasis on connecting the different sectors of the industry together so that resources and experience can be shared and career stepping stones between the different sectors built.

An objective that clearly has a greater relevance than just in a UK context.

Steve Cameron is the Chairman of Training UK Ports and Terminal Group and Principal of Cameron Maritime Resources (CMR).

CMR is a specialist provider of market research, executive recruitment, head hunting, coaching and management training for the maritime industry and business in developing world countries.

See www. cmrsupport. com and www. africanbusinessevents. com for more information.