XN000022-1988-09-22 — Page 15

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1988

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YOUNG SEAMEN ARE NEEDED IN MERCHANT NAVY

A SURVEY OF SEA-GOING PERSONNEL HAS FOUND THAT THERE ARE FEWRR

THE MANPOWER IN ACTIVE HONG KONG SEAMEN THAN TWO YEARS AGO AND

THE MERCHANT NAVY IS AGEING WITH ABOUT TWO-THIRDS AGED MORE THAN 40.

OF

IN A REPORT ON THE SURVEY, THE MERCHANT NAVY TRAINING BOARD

SEAMEN HAS THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL SAYS THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE

THE PREVIOUS DROPPED BY 17.6 PER CENT PER ANNUM TO ABOUT 9,000 SINCE SURVEY IN MARCH 1986.

THE BOARD GIVES THREE REASONS FOR THE DECLINE: THE STATE OF THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY IN THE WAKE OF WORLDWIDE AND THE RECESSION, MORE ATTRACTIVE JOBS AVAILABLE ON SHORE

SHIPS OPERATING IN THE JOBS ON BOARD

MIDDLE EAST WAR FILIPINO AND SOUTH KOREAN CREWMEN.

DEPRESSED

ECONOMIC LOSS OF ZONE TO

AGE of

THE BOARD ALSO NOTES WITH CONCERN THE RISE IN THE MEAN HONG KONG SEAFARERS WHICH REFLECTS THE GRADUAL AGEING OF THE MANPOWER IN THE MERCHANT NAVY.

THE SURVEY RECORDED THAT SOME 66 PER CENT OF THE

5,400 ACTIVE OFFICERS AND 82 PER CENT OF THE YEARS OF AGE.

RATINGS

3,600 ARE

ACTIVE OVER 40

THE BOARD CONSIDERS THAT THERE WILL BE YOUNG NEW ENTRANTS TO JOIN THE MERCHANT NAVY, SHIPPING INDUSTRY IS RECOVERING.

AN

URGENT DEMAND FOR PARTICULARLY WHEN THE

NEVERTHELESS, MOST SHIPPING COMPANIES

HAVE

BEEN EXPERIENCING

GREAT DIFFICULTIES IN RECRUITING JUNIOR DECK OFFICERS.

AT LEAST

THE BOARD FORECASTS THAT THE MERCHANT NAVY WILL NEED 360 ADDITIONAL OFFICERS AND 640 RATINGS A YEAR UP TO 1990 TO MERT MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS.

CONTAINING DETAILED

DESCRIPTIONS AND

MANPOWER

THE

1T3

STATISTICS OF THE SURVEY REPORT GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

MANPOWER SITUATION OF THE INDUSTRY, THE 1988 ON THE MERCHANT NAVY IS NOW AVAILABLE AT CENTRE, GPO BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, CENTRAL, AT $17.50 A COPY.

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