Critical Times: The Maritime Industry Manning Shortage
Anyone working in the maritime industry knows that there is a manning shortage that seems to be worsening. As someone currently working in the Tug and barge industry, I know there is an unquenchable need from companies to fill all billets, particularly mates. This shortage can be linked to several factors such as an aging current work force that is approaching retirement, the shift from crews made up of haws pipers and academy guys to boats with almost all academy guys for officers, stagnant pay for so many years, over regulation, and personal liability.
To illustrate the age gap, on the vessel which I am currently working on the person that is nearest to my age is 20 years older than me. Three of the eight are do to retire this year. This is not isolated to my boat, but out of all the ships and tugs I have sailed on, my observation has been that there is a missing generation within the industry. Talking to the guys on the boats they for the most part agree with that statement. The industry was slow during the 80s and part of the 90s and guys just got out of it. For a lot of people once you leave the industry you never want to get back into it.
The second contributor is the shift from a hawspiper/Academy mix to a primary Academy make-up for officers. With the shift in regulations and license requirements the Coast Guard has made it very difficult for guys to start on deck as an AB and move up through the ranks. This has resulted in the dependence on the academies to produce officers for the industry. The problem with this is that now the primary sources of officers have the credentials and background and are choosing to shift to a shore side position. In years past employees would shift around in the industry so there was never a real shortage. If a guy was working in New York Harbor he would just shift around in the harbor so the employee was never really going anywhere, they were still in the industry. This is not the issue now, I am finding that my friends and my self are thinking about or have already made the choice to move ashore. I guess what I am trying to say is that the demographics are changing to more college boys, and they have the credentials and the foresight to move to more favorable careers.
This comes to the last two points, which are probably the biggest isssues, the pay and the quality of life. First I will talk about the pay. It is a well-known fact that the pay has been stagnant for such a long time that, every year you stay in the industry you are making less than the prior year. Every time I look in the paper and I see that a principle of a middle school makes more than a captain of an ATB carrying millions of gallons/ dollars of product and equipment, the college educated workforce realizes this as well. Not to mention that the Captain is a moving target for a lawsuit and prosecution by false courts contrived by the Coast Guard-- there are no accidents, only negligence in this industry. Why would you want to stay in an industry that is so vilified whe
n you know that if there is any mishap that you are pretty much screwed? What job in the country has as much liability as the maritime business? That is something we starting out in the industry hear over and over again, “You are only good as your last job” The industry as a whole is facing a huge problem and it is going to take everyone in all sectors of the industry to come together and let the government know what a vital role they play in the nation. It is critical that we lift regulations and red tape to attract people to come into the industry and end the constant fear of jail time, civil penalties, and losing your license to work. A rise in pay would help attract new people and bring back some people that may have left shipping for greener pastures.
7 comments:
While I do see a point that there is a shortage, this is partially aleviated by the fact that crew sizes are constantly being reduced. Also, the number of maritime officer graduates increases every year (this i know for a fact at NYMC) so I don't agree that it is critical. I do agree that it could be a lot better in terms of pay and liability.
John,
You must be retired. The number of maritime graduates is not going up significantly. Maine, Mass, Cal, and the Fed are not turning out more grads- they have had the same numbers for decades- just look at the old dormatories (no new construction = no new students) The academies are turning out more people maybe... 50% are non-regimental and not involved in a licensing program. Some are regimental but non-uscg officer grads. Many of the newer mates and engineers coming out of the academies are looking to shore side jobs. The majority sail for a few years and then take something that pays the same (or more)- but allows them to have a normal life at home.
When I first got out of school there was a huge shortage and people were grabbing up new mates all over the industry. They can't keep people on the ships. The old generations are getting to retirement age.
You do the math- but in a few years the industry is going to have a very critical problem. Too many retirees and not enough young blood.
Academies aside, the cost of coming up through the hawspipe is more and more cost prohibitive than it has ever been. Even as an AB(U) I am finding myself struggling to financially stay on top of my obligations to keep my STCW current...and now they want a TWIC on top of that. The government is driving this industry overseas every chance they get and we are the people that pay the cost. I feel sorry for the sailor just starting out.
This critical shortage that we do have now is only going to get worse.
John,
Bill is right, you must be retired, or out of touch. I can not speak for deep sea jobs, but as far as the Tug and Tow industry the Editor is right. There are just not enough crew to go around. I work for huge tug company and we are having to tie up boats because we can not keep them manned, not because we have lack of work. I have had several young mates leave and go ashore in search of better work, and they where great mates!! They are just doing it for a few years and getting out. The Editor hit the nail on the head, they are all Academy guys using there degrees to do other things, these kids are not stupid.
John, enjoy retirement but things are changing and the manning at a Critical point.
Actually, I am a senior at NY Maritime College. I've been looking at mostly international jobs, for instance new zealand and not much luck. I've been told by people and professors at school that there is a shortage, however I generally don't believe people that much, the "maritime screw" still exists here and is hard to get away from.
There are more non-regimental cadets at my school, but not 50% (at least at maritime) more like 10~20%, however this year my campus was so full, that I had to stay in a berthing on the training ship until they could find room. A new dorm was finished my sophomore year and is already packed.
Half of the people in my Bridge Resource Management class have done AB work on tugs, so there will be more hands, at least from NY Maritime, including myself.
What I find most attractive without having experience on tugs, is the work schedule, 2 weeks on 2 off. I've talked to cruise companies that have 4 months on 2 off, and one 6 months on 2 off!!
I'll take your word for it on the other maritime colleges, but I find it very odd that they don't follow SUNY Maritime's example in expansion.
Sadly US crew only make up a very small proportion of international, deep sea shipping. Your guys are simply to expensive!
However, world trade is booming, and 90% of this trade is by sea. The order book for new ships to meet this need is breaking all records. The world fleet as of 2006 is detailed below.
1980 600 million dwt
1985 610 million dwt
1990 605 million dwt
1995 680 million dwt
2000 720 million dwt
2005 850 million dwt
2006 960 million dwt
This year alone there has been 186 million new dwt ordered.
These figures are set to increase, China has an insatiable appetite for raw material, it has recently surpassed the US as the largest consumer of oil in the world and also the largest exporter of goods.
New markets are opening up all of the time.
A study in 2005 suggested that the industry was short of 10,000 officers, a recent study indicated that this problem could be between twice and five time worse.
So where and how, do we get these officers?
Good day !.
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