Page 12: of Marine News Magazine (July 2013)

When it comes to training, recruitment and retention is- sues ? serious matters facing all maritime employers today ? John Lotshaw probably knows better than most; whats best for you. And, no matter what end of the maritime business model that you hail from, the challenge of hiring good people, training them and keeping them on payroll is an ongoing problem. Lotshaw joined Ingalls Shipbuilding in August of 2002 as the Director of Trades at the Avondale Site, responsible for workforce development and training and Operations support. He was subsequently assigned as the Program Director of LPD 21(USS New York) a $1 billion ship construction program. He has since served in many senior roles, but currently serves as the Gulf Coast Director of Training and Workforce Development, respon- sible for training all craft personnel at Ingalls Shipbuilding Facilities. Beyond this, he also serves as the inaugural chair of the National Maritime Education Council (NMEC) , a group seeking to standardize and improve craft training within the maritime industry. As the spearhead for efforts to standardize and provide credentials for shipyard work- ers, backed by a coalition of 20+ industry trade groups and companies, what he and the NMEC do next could well be the template for industry human resources development that we have been thirsting for. Listen in as he gives us a glimpse of what is to come next. The new shipyard workforce development effort on the Gulf Coast is an exciting concept. What does the National Maritime Educational Council (NMEC) do, when it was started and what are its mission(s)? The initial efforts at standardized curriculum develop- ment were started with a post-Katrina Department of INSIGHTSJohn LotshawGulf Coast Director of Training and Workforce Development Ingalls ShipbuildingJuly 201312 MNMN July2013 Layout 1-17.indd 126/28/2013 2:50:48 PM