If you savor the spirit of adventure, opt for a career on the high seas, says Shubhobroto Ghosh

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Ashish Ghosh, chief engineer of Northern Marine Management, joined Apeejay Lines as a junior engineer in 1977 on a salary of Rs 2,500. His job entailed keeping a watch on the machinery on the ship (pumps and generators) and co-ordinating his tasks with senior engineers. After three years, he became a second grade engineer. He gradually made his way up to become the chief engineer of the Wallem Group in 1989 on a salary of $5,000 (now about Rs 2 lakh) a month. After 14 years at Wallem, Ghosh joined Northern Marine Management Limited as a chief engineer. “I am now paid in dollars and my current salary is $9,300 (roughly Rs 3,72,000) a month,” he says. He is in charge of the entire technical department which, among other things, takes care of the airconditioning and water supply of the ship he is sailing on. “As chief engineer, I have to co-ordinate my work with the master (captain) of the ship,” he says. “In case of any mechanical problem, I inform the captain and it is then reported to the company.”

Ghosh says the principal charm of working in the shipping industry is that you get to visit different countries. A job at sea also means an adventurous life and Ghosh points out that the prospect of getting jobs in overseas companies today is very bright. “There is a 40 per cent shortage of chief engineers and captains in the shipping industry. For junior level engineers and deck officers, the shortage is 30 per cent,” notes Ghosh.

“The prospects of a career in the shipping industry have never been better,” exclaims Raj Razdan, provost of Tolani Marine Institute, Mumbai. “The rate of growth of the shipping industry is almost 22 per cent,” reveals Soumik Krishna Dev, director of Trident College of Marine Technology in Calcutta and a former mariner.
The two principal areas in which there are openings aboard a ship are the deck and engine sections. While the deck section hires officers, the engine section employs engineers. Vacancies also exist for staff known as ratings who perform miscellaneous jobs on board.

There are several courses to train prospective mariners across India. “Our college offers three pre-sea residential courses — a diploma in nautical science, general purpose ratings and saloon ratings,” says Dev. These courses are approved by the directorate general of shipping (DGS) of the ministry of shipping.
The qualification required for the three-year diploma in nautical science is Plus Two, with physics, chemistry, mathematics and English as compulsory subjects and 55 per cent marks in the first three. The students attend theoretical classes for the first two semesters but are trained on board a ship for the next three. They are awarded a certificate of competency from the DGS and a BSc in nautical science from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) after their sixth semester. The course costs Rs 1,80,000 a year.

The Marine Engineering and Research Institute (MERI), Calcutta, offers a four-year marine engineering course with a bachelors of engineering degree awarded by Jadavpur University. “The entry requirement is the Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination,” says S. K. Sarkar, director of MERI. There are 160 seats and the course costs Rs 47,800 a semester.

The Tolani Maritime Institute offers a two-year higher national diploma in marine engineering in collaboration with the Glasgow College of Nautical Studies in the UK. “The qualification required is a pass in Plus Two with 50 per cent marks in physics, chemistry and mathematics or a diploma in mechanical, electrical or electronics engineering,” says Razdan. Short-term courses are offered in areas like fire prevention and fire fighting, personal safety and social responsibility, elementary first aid and personal survival techniques. “These courses are run two to three days a week and cost between Rs 1,800 and Rs 2,000,” says Razdan.

The shipping industry offers managerial positions too. The Academy of Maritime Education and Training in Chennai offers an MBA in shipping and logistics management. “The programme is designed to equip students with adequate skills in general management, functional specialisation in the areas of marketing, finance, human resources and information technology and sectoral specialisation in shipping and logistics management,” says N. Srinivasan, dean of management studies at the academy.

The course is open to students who are graduates or mariners with a master of foreign-going ship certificate of competency or a first class motor or combined (chief engineer) certificate of competency issued by the DGS. Students have to clear CAT or MAT to gain entry.

In the shipping industry, one can join a vessel as a cadet or a trainee engineer and work his way up. “It generally takes one eight to 10 years from the entry level to become the master (captain) of a vessel or a chief engineer,” says Maneesh Pradhan, manager of Anglo Eastern Ship Management Limited, East Zone.

Pradhan says that the demand is greatest for middle level engineers and officers. He also outlines certain essential attributes that a successful seafarer must possess. “Hardiness and the right attitude are a must since on a vessel you are on your own,” he says. “We find team management and human resources skills are lacking in mariners,” says a senior official of a leading Indian shipping company. While one can feel sea sick or lonely during long voyages, there is also the enormous attraction of visiting foreign countries.

Salaries for deck officers start at Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 and can rise to Rs 3 lakh for a captain. A trainee engineer gets around Rs 20,000. “This can go up to Rs 3.5 to Rs 4 lakh for a chief engineer,” says Pradhan.

With the world shipping industry growing, the scope for an adventurous outdoor life on the waters is great. So for those with a roving mind, take the plunge and set sail.

Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, Ondia)