The age of the shore-farer looms

Nick Shaw CEO International Group of P&I Clubs

During a panel session at the second World Merchants Maritime Forum in Hong Kong yesterday, Nick Shaw CEO of the International Group of P&I Clubs urged the industry to prepare for the arrival of semi-autonomous and autonomous shipping.
 

Mr Shaw said the retraining of crew is vitally important as the skills gained for working aboard ships will need to be at least partly replaced by training for other shore-based roles.

“A focus for the International Group is how best to achieve this; whether it’s through our P&IQ exams, which we run, or through other ways to ensure that there are jobs for the future for these very useful people in our industry.”
 

In an article published in Hong Kong Maritime Hub – The Next 25 Years published earlier this month, Captain Pradeep Chawla, managing director QHSE and Training at Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, delved deeper into the topic of autonomous shipping while offering hope to seafarers concerned about their future.
 

“Although the definition of a seafarer will change, the total number employed will increase. As the vessels will be operated from ashore there will be a need for skills like those employed by drone operators today. More maintenance personnel would be needed as maintenance would be carried out ashore. And with the faster turnaround there will be many more ancillary jobs,” insisted Captain Chawla. 
 

As a participant in the United Nations Just Transition of the Workforce, a UN Convention examining the creation of decent jobs, Captain Chawla knows more of what he speaks than most.

Source: Hong Kong Maritime Hub

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