Seafarers from Goa have appealed to the Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shripad Naik, to instruct the Director of Shipping to take necessary action against training institutes, which lure students through false assurances of job placements, and also against shipping bodies which avoid hiring freshers.
According to the Goan Seamen Association of India (GSAI), finding a job after completing pre-sea training is tough and competitive, considering that many students undergo these courses and there aren’t enough ships to place them onboard. Fraud shipping companies and false promises add to the woes.
“Freshly passed out cadets are finding it extremely difficult to get a decent break. Many have jobs. There are many who have taken loans for their maritime training and even have mortgages to clear off. Unfortunately, the situation has become a breeding ground for job agents and fraud shipping companies wherein they charge lakhs of rupees. Sadly, many have also fallen prey to fraud agents and shipping companies. It indeed is a grim situation where our boys do not know what to do and whom to blame. Maritime academies are churning out cadets and making huge profits irrespective of the market condition,” the GSAI adds.
The GSAI has also demanded that the government intervene in the matter and help fresh graduates and engineers to get suitable placements.