Is there a Mariner Shortage
Like every industry the marine industry was hit hard by the current economic crisis. So no there is not a mariner shortage. Two years ago the tables were totally turned. If you held a license, be it Captain or Engineering, you had a job, and the day rates were very competitive Captains and Licensed Engineers were making over $650 a day and companies were scrambling to find qualified people to keep their boats crewed.
The crisis was not just limited to licensed personnel either Deckhands both OS's, AB's, and also QMED's were also in high demand. Now many are out of work and struggling to find employment.
The situation is starting to turn around though as containers are starting to move more, oil and coal are starting to be needed again. So this means that surely there will be another mariner shortage.
The mariner shortage is caused mostly because of the difficulty for mariners to come up "through the hawespipe" as was frequently the most common way to become licensed in the past. Soon it will be a requirement to attend an academy such as Maine Maritime or Suny Maritime for examples.
Although academies have their benefits they send mariners to ships or boats with mainly book knowledge and no "handling" experience. Making what in the industry we call paper Captains or Engineers. Contributing to a shortage of qualified marine personnel, Personnel that can get a boat or ship to the dock safely.
When you work and live on a boat or even depend on the products that the ship or tug and barge are transporting, the peace of mind that qualified personnel are at the helm or in the engine room is invaluable. No crew man wants to be on a boat with a nervous, incompetent captain or have a mechanical problem with an inexperienced engineer.
So in short, it is not really a mariner shortage but an experienced mariner shortage. New Coast Guard regulations make it hard for experienced mariners who maybe excellent boat handlers with no incidents to keep up in the current job market. Also the demand for licensed Engineers leaves a lot of good unlicensed engineers on the dock.
As a licensed Chief Engineer I have been fortunate to have not been hurt by the current crisis in fact have been offered jobs that I have not applied for. My point is as with any trade or occupation, the motivated, skilled worker will be in higher demand than the workers that are not.
