Angola requires foreign companies operating in the country to employ 70% of their workforce locally over time. But in a country with no seafaring tradition, Maersk Supply Service had a challenge in building up its own pool of certified, competent employees.
Joshua Stack, Maersk Supply Service country manager in Angola explains: "By bringing up our own people we make sure that our crews receive the best training right from the beginning, not least in terms of safety. In short, that they work the Maersk-way and live our values," he says. Maersk Supply Service is part of the A.P. Moller - Maersk Group and the company has a fleet of 60 supply vessels, 2 000 employees and takes part in oil and offshore operations across the globe.
Interest in the training opportunity has been overwhelming. A single advertisement in a local Angolan newspaper resulted in 4 000 applications. Maersk Supply Service whittled these thousands down to 25 seafarer trainees and on 1 July the 25 chosen departed for Chennai in India for up to 12 months of language and seafarer training conducted by Maersk Training India and the Maritime Foundation, a private training centre.
The new initiative is not only a prerequisite for doing business in Angola, though. It also comes with a positive side-effect in that it helps to build up capacity of the offshore workforce in this energy-rich country. "Although we are in Angola for business, we firmly believe that it's important to contribute to the countries in which we work. This programme is just a first step in what we consider to be a long journey towards expanding our pool of professional seafarers in Angola," Claus Tafteberg Sørensen, Maersk Supply Service chief commercial
officer says.
Prior to the on-board training the cadets underwent six months of on-shore pre-sea training in Angola, combining English language training, safety and security awareness as well as the necessary survival procedure modules for operating tugs. The next class of trainees is expected to be hired by Maersk Supply Service at the end of this year with training starting in early 2013.
