Seagull Maritime has launched an advanced software tool able to benchmark seafarer knowledge levels, allowing shipowners and operators to compare their crew and potential recruits with industry peers. The new tool will provide shipping companies with online access to data that can help them take objective decisions on recruitment sources and identify areas where further training is required.
Benchmarking establishes the standards specific industries find acceptable, in terms of products, service levels or competitive practices, then finds ways to meet or improve upon these standards. Companies use benchmarking to measure their successes and pinpoint their shortcomings.
Through its existing Crew Evaluation System (CES), which holds records from 250 companies and from more than 500 000 test results, Seagull Maritime is enabling customers to benchmark knowledge of their crews against industry data identifying attributes that include nationality, rank, and crew pool. The new Seagull Maritime CES Benchmarking tool is available online in an easy to use web-based application that provides reports and graphics for detailed analysis.
Information on individual clients is fully protected within the Seagull CES Benchmarking tool, with users accessing aggregated data to compare their crew knowledge levels against generalized results achieved by anonymized people.
“STCW certification is essential, but it is not a guarantee of competence,” says Roger Ringstad, Seagull Maritime Managing Director. “Our Crew Evaluation System is widely used to test and verify the knowledge level of seafarers, but benchmarking takes its usefulness to another level.”
“This is the only assessment tool available in the market enabling owners and ship managers to analyse personnel and potential recruits by nationality, rank, manning supplier, specific knowledge areas and compare their quality with industry standards using reliable historical data. This will be an eye opener for employers, who can base their crew supply decisions on accurate information, not supposition.”
The recent Drewry Manning 2015 report highlighted a nominal shortage of 15,000 officers in shipping today, suggesting that 42,500 more officers will be needed before the end of 2019 to meet industry needs. With cadet intakes currently below the required replacement rate, less experienced officers and cadets are being promoted more quickly.
“CES Benchmarking will help to drive up training standards at source,” Ringstad adds. “Better quality recruits have a higher chance of succeeding in their career at sea, but a core aim of CES Benchmarking is also to support the career development plans of seafarers. This is the best tool available in the market today to identify training needs, verify the knowledge level of crew in their current positions, and establish their preparedness for promotion.”
