Train to Retain your Personnel

 

The ISM code is said to be a major contributor to the improvement of safety in the maritime industry. This in addition to newer ships, stricter competency requirements, and increase in regulations along with quality maritime training have enabled a safer working marine environment. Quality maritime training enable personnel with the knowledge they need to implement the safety management system effectively aboard the vessels and in the office ashore.

Statistics have shown that personnel are more likely to stay with a company when companies invest in them. this includes investment in their learning and career development. One-way companies choose to do this for their personnel is by the provision of quality maritime training. Some companies cover the cost of the STCW courses that maritime personnel are required to complete and even provide this training at their own training centers. Some companies choose to provide more advanced courses like an ISM auditor course for their QHSE personnel that are going on board to audit the vessels.

The internal audit program plays an important role in any system, even a safety management system. The audit program is only as good as its auditors and therefore it is important that they be provided with quality maritime training. This may also include an ISPS auditor course. Auditors must add value to the system by identifying how the system failed to meet a requirement based on objective factual evidence. Auditors should not be subjective, should not be selective in choosing samples, give recommendations of become inspectors.

For senior management other advanced trainings such as root causes analysis, designated person and accident investigation will help them as they tackle the challenges of managing vessels from ashore. When the personnel have received quality maritime training, they can conduct better root cause analysis and thus implement more effective corrective action. Corrective action helps drive improvement by preventing the non-conformity from recurring. 

As more and more shipping companies opt for ISO standard such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, they will need to train their personnel in these standards. They need to understand the principles of the plan-do-check-act cycles in improving their systems. For these standards quality maritime training will include ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 in a lead auditor format as well as an overview format for others. Trained personnel armed with the knowledge of the requirements are more likely to meet them and understand the risks of them not doing so. Different training formats will enable competent seafarers ready to add value. Better retention implies reduced long term operating costs and a win-win for all.