Page 24: of Maritime Logistics Professional Magazine (Q4 2013)

The domestic, U.S. shipbuilding boom is here: blue wa- ter, brown water, offshore support, inland, and export maritime security platforms, too. The robust comeback has just about everyone on this side of the pond very happy; unless of course, you are in the ?human resources? department and  nd yourself scrambling on a daily basis to recruit, train and retain quali ed help to competently build all those orders on your fat backlog. That said; these are good problems to have. According to the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), private shipyards in the United States support 402,000 jobs and 36 Billion in GDP. Even with those staggering numbers the shipyards are still faced with a severe skilled worker shortage. Issues facing the industry include an aging workforce, lack of individuals entering the trades, a dearth of training opportuni- ties and the rapidly rising cost of recruiting, hiring, testing, and training. There are answers out there. You just have to know where to look. Many shipyards have done just that. Resources for Human Resources Professionals For starters, the National Maritime Education Council (NMEC) is a Gulf Coast-based group seeking to standard-ize and improv e craft training within the maritime industry. As the spearhead for efforts to standardize and provide cre- dentials for shipyard workers, backed by a coalition of 20+ industry trade groups and companies, what the NMEC does next could well be the template for industry human resources development that we have been thirsting for. The NMEC is funded by its members and a  nancial com- mitment is involved based on a company?s headcount. There are  ve investment levels in addition to an annual membership Training TRAINING & RECRUITMENTBeyond ShipbuildingTBy Joseph Keefe Domestic shipyards get creative in its approach to Þ nding, training and keeping qualiÞ ed shipÞ tters. While shipbuilding is booming across nearly every sector in the United States, there remains a serious need for talented workers across several trades. (Tradesmen International credit) 24 | Maritime Professional | 4Q 2013MP #4 18-33.indd 24MP #4 18-33.indd 2412/11/2013 1:05:33 PM12/11/2013 1:05:33 PM