Dredgers Are Made, Not Born: Education and Training for a Career in Today’S Maritime Construction Industry
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10 Terra et Aqua | Number 106 | March 2007 MARSHA COHEN DREDGERS ARE MADE, NOT BORN: EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR A CAREER IN TODAY’S MARITIME CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION construction is a more accurate description of the activities of modern dredging The intricacies of today’s maritime One hundred years ago when dredging was companies. And these maritime construction infrastructure construction and dredging a family business, workers in the dredging projects require teamwork. A typical team industry require a highly skilled workforce. industry were born, not made. Expertise may comprise financial planners, contract Given the variety of the types of skills was handed down from grandfather to experts, project managers, site investigators, needed, companies are on a constant look father to son. Not so in the 21st century. scientists, engineers, dredge masters, out to recruit top-notch people from all The modern international dredging skippers and mechanics. levels of the educational ladder. The process company is a large corporation with is twofold. Firstly, candidates must be thousands of employees, with affiliates In that context it has become incumbent found, not only from technical secondary worldwide, linked to many subsidiaries upon the companies themselves and the schools and technical universities, but also and joint ventures, where work is often educational institutions to promote under- from economic, legal and managerial far from the headquarters or home base. standing of what dredging and maritime backgrounds. Secondly, and equally The complexities of economic and infrastructure construction mean to society. important, an integral element in environmental issues, the enormity of the The industry must learn to enhance its own recruitment is retainment. More and more vessels in size and in variety of functions, social status and prestige (NAS, 2005) in companies are offering the promise of and the technologies with which these order to attract qualified people. “continuing education” for employees. For ships are equipped, are beyond the the member companies of the International expertise of a single individual, beyond To reach the goal of finding and hiring the Association of Dredging Companies this transference of information simply by best and brightest young people, companies continuing education may take the form of word of mouth. must actively recruit new personnel on all on-the-job training, as well as specialised levels to fill a wide range of positions, from outside education and training provided In fact, be it capital or maintenance or dredging crews to research engineers, men by the employer to support employees in remedial dredging, the construction of and women who are highly trained in their further developing their intrinsic talents airports, harbours, land reclamation or particular fields of expertise. Dredging and and existing skills. The aim of these offshore projects, maritime infrastructure maritime construction companies nowadays programmes is to provide opportunities to depend on structured and structural transform “a job” into a career. This offers Above, Dredging and maritime construction projects take education and training programmes. an employee a chance for growth and at place all over the world. They require a highly skilled As a recent article in The New York Times the same time guarantees the companies workforce, people who are able both to work as a team described it: “One thing that executives at a successful transition into the future. and to take individual responsibility for details and safety. even the most successful corporations Dredgers are Made, not Born: Education and Training for a Career in Today’s Maritime Construction Industry 11 MARSHA COHEN hours intrinsic to the dredging industry. is Editor of Terra et Aqua. This article To attract quality candidates, a particular was written by the editor with entry-level position should be seen as a contributions and support from Osamu stepping-stone to a broader-based, long-term Nakagome of TOA Corporation, Jan career. Eygenraam, Hendrik Postma, Peter Hendrickx and George Scholten There are a wide variety of possible careers of Royal Boskalis Westminster, Linda Vos- within a dredging company, ranging from de Wit and Genarda Brinkers of Van Oord, jobs on-board immense dredging vessels, and Helen Schellinck of Jan De Nul. to civil and maritime engineers and project managers. Dredging companies often look for well-educated people in the obvious places – from technical universities, struggle with is how to lure talented students in the fields of civil engineering, candidates into their organizations or technical earth sciences, environmental professions…how to ‘incentivize’ a job… science and industrial design. They also so that an entry-level position has a chance look at people in other higher education to become a lasting career” (Gertner, 2006). organisations in shipbuilding, hydrography and maritime officers, safety/quality control engineer, surveying and dredging RECRUITMENT technology. Other related but significant Figure 3 areas of study necessary to the modern To begin with, international dredging dredging industry include lawyers, contract companies are in competition with other specialists, economists and accountants. challenging circumstances. People with related maritime industries, and with each But for personnel departments, defining leadership qualities who are able to think other, to attract well-qualified candidates. the job title is only part of the “job”. long-term and imagine the next generation That means that Personnel & Organisation Dredging is a dynamic industry that of technologies and projects. And common (P&O) departments must clearly define demands certain personal as well as to most positions in the dredging industry the needed skills and development educational characteristics. Independent is the interest in a diversity of cultures and opportunities, and offer a package that thinkers and problem solvers are sought, the desire to experience these cultures rewards ingenuity, dedication, and the long people who are able to adjust to firsthand (Figures 1 through 4). Figure 1 Figure 2 The dredging industry needs personnel with a wide variety of skills and dredging and maritime construction often means working on-site, day and night, in distant countries. Figure 1. Crewmembers preparing to change the cutter head in Jamaica; Figure 2. Pipe and cable pull at night for an offshore project between Singapore and Indonesia; Figure 3. A surveyor taking measurements in the water; and Figure 4. Crewmember onboard operating the control panel. Figure 4 12 Terra et Aqua | Number 106 | March 2007 Figure 5. Young people are the core of vitality in a dredging company. Here a group of younger personnel are attending an in-house course. WORK-STUDY mentor is introducing these young people PRESENT STAFF, SENIOR MANAGEMENT to the culture of the company, and AND INTRAPRENEURSHIP Working and studying simultaneously has evaluating the ease with which they adapt gained more and more favour over time. to unusual situations that living and Whilst attracting new employees is an As the costs of studying increase, and the working abroad can present. ongoing activity, attention is also being spent technical know-how grows more specialised, to the present pool of employees working work-study programmes become more Cooperation with universities within the IADC companies. The aim is to attractive. Attractive to students who often IADC companies also work with universities help them evaluate and achieve their own are able to earn some income as they and technical schools in their respective personal goals and also to provide a clearer continue their studies, and to the employers countries, by sponsoring or financially growth and career path. These programmes who are able to gain insight into the qualities supporting research for thesis projects in are not only in areas of technical expertise of these potential full-time employees. areas that the company has targeted as but also emphasise personal development potentially useful. Very often a good and leadership qualities. They provide an In this framework, the member companies relationship with leading universities is also incentive for employees to remain in the of the International Association of Dredging maintained through joint technical research company, using their skills for long-term Companies offer internships for qualified between an in-house technical institute and career development (Figure 5). students to get hands-on experience the universities' technical and engineering working within the company for a period of faculties. Most recently some IADC companies have time ranging from three months to a year. instituted courses or training programmes Often these interns are placed on projects University research is an important platform that focus on in-depth technical expertise abroad where they get a real understanding for Research & Development and has resulted and senior management abilities. With of the demands, challenges and excitement in important discoveries for the industry, such regard to senior management abilities, the of major maritime infrastructure works. as more efficient turbidity modelling, emphasis is on encouraging what has often These on-site assignments abroad at improved cutter teeth, and environmentally been called “intrapreneurship”. That is, dredging and construction sites are more sensitive dredging methods. encouraging amongst other things,