Poor prospects in
Merchant shipping as career today
for new aspirants in
India
90% graduates coming out of DGS approved private maritime
training Institutes have not found placement in the shipping companies
during last two years, to fulfil sea time requirements even at the entry level
competency examination, stipulated by DG Shipping.
This is a very sad state, much to the frustration and
financial hardship for the trained cadets and their parents. The matter had
been taken up with the DG Shipping, through appeals to open fresh avenues by way
of acquiring Govt. Owned training ships and at the same time shut down the
graduate courses for an immediate future of say next two to three
years.
There have been no corrective steps from Govt.
Directorate and worry remains over the plight of waiting students for placement
when more and more cadets would be churned out in the coming
years.
All training Institutes having DGS approval and
conducting the BE/GME/DME and BSc marine courses/DNS/HND are only very keen to
fill their approved seats, while they cannot do much more to ensure the
placement of the cadets at the end of these marine courses.
Most of the training Institutes including IMU project to
the public as though there is a bright future for students with maritime related
skills from India. On the contrary, in the recent two years, subsequent to the
fall in US economy and acute global economic recession, the shipping fleet have
shrunk in general due to reduction of seaborne trade. The unfortunate aspect is
that many Indian managed shipping companies are compelled under severe economic
cuts and have resumed to recruit cheaper crew and officers from other
countries. As such Indians do not fall favourably for secure ship board
employment. There may be some shortages in the middle management levels in the
merchant navy ships in the ranks of 2nd/chief officers and 3rd/2nd engineers, and hence you find a lot
of ads being displayed. However, it is clearly seen that the new Indian cadets
of both streams have no scope for placement in the circumstances, unless the
scenario should suddenly reverse bringing an upsurge in demand for merchant
ships for trade.
BEFORE OPTING FOR MARITIME EDUCATION COURSES IN ANY
INSTITUTE, FIRST TRY AND GET SPONSORSHIP FROM A REPUTED SHIPPING COMPANY IN THE
VERY BEGINNING, WITH GOOD PROSPECTS FOR PLACEMENT IN THEIR COMPANIES. You can
find the address of shipping companies from directory, available with any news
agent vendor in the Fort area in Mumbai/ or Prince of Wales seaman club (Mumbai
seaman club) in fort area. You may directly contact shipping companies for
selection and then decide if you would wish to join a DGS approved training
Institute.
NARROW, SPECIALISATIONS TOWARDS OBTAINING BE DEGREE IN
MARINE ENGINEERING, ONE AND TWO YEARS GME/DME COURSES, SIMILAR COURSES IN
NAUTICAL SCIENCE HAVE NO SCOPE ATLEAST IN THE FORSEEABLE FUTURE. PLS VERIFY THE
TRUTH OF PLACEMENT CLAIMS OF INSTITUTES BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR ADMISSION FOR THE COURSES. MAKE
YOUR BEST ENQUIRIES AND DOCUMENTED PROOF TO ENSURE THAT AT THE END OF COMPLETION
OF THE MARINE COURSE, YOU WOULD HAVE ASSURED TRAINING SLOT TO BOARD SHIP FOR
FURTHER SHIPBOARD TRAINING PHASE WITHOUT WHICH YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR EVEN THE
IST LEVEL OF MMD COMPETENCY EXAMINATIONS. WITHOUT THE BASIC COMPETENCY
CERTIFICATE, YOU CANNOT GET SECURE JOB ON SHIPS ANY WHERE IN THE
WORLD/
BEWARE OF AGENCIES AND TOUTS MISLEADING POTENTIAL
ASPIRANTS TO TAKE UP MARITIME CAREER.
MERCHANT NAVY IS NO MORE
ATTRACTIVE FOR INDIANS TODAY, DUE TO CHANGED CONDITIONS.
This message is intended to
serve in the better interests of innocent parents and students, who may feel
attracted by white uniform and acclaimed disciplined training in the approved
Institutes.
PLS INFORM YOUR OTHER
FRIENDS
