Attracting Talented Youth to Merchant Navy from Rural India

Attracting talented youth to Merchant Navy from Rural India

Inderveer Solanki

M.Sc. Maritime Affairs, World Maritime University

Vice-President (Academics and Research), ARI

Email: ivsolanki@yahoo.co.in, ivsolanki@ariworld.com

Abstract

Shortage of certified officers in the shipping industry worldwide as well as in India is reported in most maritime journals. BIMCO / ISF Manpower Update 2005 (Update) forecasted a shortage of 27000 officers in 2010. The shortage can be broadly attributed to two factors, namely inability to attract talented youth to merchant navy and retaining the trained seafarers. Socio-economic background affects attitudes and values of seafarers. In China and Philippines abut 80% seafarers hail from inland provinces or islands (Zhao & Amante, 2005). As per data collected by author of 163 ship’s officers, 10% belong to small towns, 35% to large towns and 55% to state capital cities. In India about 741 million people (70%)[1] live in rural India hence there is large scope to attract the talented youth from rural India. Based on the economical status of the rural India individuals from rural background are also likely to stay longer at sea. But due to lack of information[2] about the career in merchant navy in rural India the shipping industry is unable to tap this large source of talented youth. The author suggests different methods of attracting the talented youth from rural background to the shipping Industry.

Introduction

Choosing a career is a dynamic process spread over a time from initial fantasy stage (early to mid childhood), through tentative stage (mid adolescence) when individuals start to think about there interests, capacities and values, to realistic stage (late adolescence) when the individual makes an assessment of different career options visa-vis his capabilities and needs (Ginzberg et al., 1951). An individual may be attracted to a career for different reasons depending on his own aptitude, social environment,...