NAU T I LU S AT WOR K
NEWS
POLICY ‘VISION’ Transport minister Chris Grayling has announced plans to develop a long-term vision for UK maritime policy. He said consultations will begin soon on proposals for Maritime 2050 – ‘a strategy for the future of an industry that is of fundamental importance to our country’ – see page 21.
C A M PA I G N S
Industry welcomes move to double UK training support Nautilus has warmly welcomed the UK government’s decision to double the budget for the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme – a move which is set to increase cadet numbers by some 60%. Shipping minister Nusrat Ghani told Parliament that the introduction of the SMarT Plus scheme sought by Nautilus and the Chamber of Shipping will see funding rise, over a seven-year period, from £15m to £30m a year. Commitments from operators including Carnival UK, BP, Shell, Maersk and Stena Line mean the annual cadet intake should increase from 750 to 1,200. Companies will also provide employment for newly-qualified SMarT Plus officers, enabling them to gain the 12 months seatime needed to progress to their second certificate of competency. ‘This is very welcome news and represents a huge victory for the Union’s Charter for Jobs campaign,’ said Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson. ‘The Union has consistently campaigned to secure increased funding for SMarT, to support the cost of training UK-resident seafarers and to bring the scheme in line with the aid provided by many other major maritime nations. To have achieved this in the current economic and political climate is a significant achievement, and we are delighted that the government has listened to the strength of the case that we have put forward. ‘We have worked closely with the shipowners to develop the SMarT Plus package in a way that will give the government commitments on training and employment targets whilst also addressing
Pictured at the UK Chamber of Shipping annual dinner last month are MEF cadets Matthew Gigg, Ross O’Sullivan, Kyle Addison, Louis Goldsworthy, Nicky Boak, Aimee MacLeod and Bram Delaney
some of the obstacles which have so far held us back from achieving those aims,’ he said. ‘We now look to the owners to deliver on those commitments. ‘The money is literally small change down the back of the DfT’s sofa – with £15m being barely the cost of building a mile of motorway – but it will make a massive difference to the supply and demand of British seafarers and could mark a watershed for UK maritime employment and training,’ Mr Dickinson added. ‘As the DfT’s own research has shown, this support will also deliver massive economic benefits – with every £1 spent on SMarT generating almost £5 return to the economy, as well as safeguarding the supply of experienced seafarers which is so vital for the sustainability of the UK as a global maritime centre.’ UK Chamber of Shipping chief executive Guy Platten commented: ‘Nothing will
prove that the UK is open for business quite like seeing more British seafarers arrive in the world’s ports. We already recruit people from all backgrounds and all corners of the country, and with this new investment we will be able to create thousands of new opportunities in the years ahead.’ Announcing the decision, Ms Ghani said the government recognised the importance of maritime skills and is determined to ‘encourage more young people to consider an exciting and rewarding career at sea’. She said the extra support would help to safeguard the UK’s global lead in many maritime services. ‘I recognise the importance of transferable skills and the essential role seafarers play in supporting the wider maritime sector when they return from sea to shore-based careers,’ she added. ‘This is never more important than it is today as we prepare to leave the EU and take an even more global outlook.’
March 2018 9 nautilusint.org
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19/02/2018 15:16