Interest in joining Hong Kong's shipping industry began to wane with the booming economic development of the city in the 1980s, and since then the industry has struggled to find suitable candidates to fill vital positions.
'The industry itself is actually growing but we are unable to tap the pool of people we had 20 years ago who would have been interested in joining us. With some of our existing crew also nearing retirement age, recruitment of new talent has been immensely difficult,' said Anna Hong Yu-han, deputy general manager of Shun Tak China Travel Ship Management. The company is operating under the brand TurboJet, the major operator of ferry services between Hong Kong and Macau, and has taken things into its own hands as part of its succession planning strategy.
In 1997, in the hope of easing the talent drought, the company launched a cadet officer scheme, designed to train up graduates who have completed a two-year diploma in maritime studies from the Maritime Services Training Institute.
Since its launch, 26 trainees have participated in the structured scheme that guides the graduate through a pyramid programme from an entry level cadet officer to night vision officer before becoming chief officer and ultimately the master of the boat.
'Becoming a master requires a minimum of about six to seven years of training,' Ms Hong said. 'There are a number of examinations they must sit and pass as required by the government. With the job involving major responsibility for the boat, both in terms of looking after the ferry as property and the paramount importance of passenger safety, it takes a long time to train up someone for the position of master.'
In 2003, TurboJet introduced its engineer trainee programme, a shorter course of about three years, depending on the individual's qualifications, but grounded in a similar approach, where the junior engineer can work towards becoming either a chief engineer on board a ferry or an engineer based on shore at the shipyard.
Those interested in the scheme must have an engineering degree.
