Best Practices 2018
From Building Ships to Repairing Ships
Background
To realize social values as a public organization, we ‘listened’ to the critical social issue of mass unemployment in the shipbuilding industry with open communication with the public.
Ulsan Gyeongsangnam-do
[Designation as employment and industry crisis region]
Economic recession and restructuring of maritime and shipbuilding industries, core industries in the region. → Sharp increase in unemployment rate (4.6% in 2018) (national average:3.8%)
Problem recognition by local community
Generation of unemployed people from economic recession in Ulsan’s shipbuilding industry (designated as employment and industry crisis region)
Increase in unemployed people in the shipbuilding industry due to industrial recession and a subsequent decrease in the quality of life in the ommunity
Maritime Industry
[Challenges in supply and demand of seafarers]
Difficulties in recruiting new seafarers by shipping companies → Existence of risk of dangerous accidents due to aging crew (seminar in Nov. 2017)
Open communication with the public
Hosting of seminars for jobs creation with local companies in Ulsan Port and the public
Challenges in recruitment by shipping companies and aging of seafarers due to social stereotype of seafarers as low-class
Content
Step 1 Identify ideas by matching problems in the community and challenges of clients
| Unemployed people in the shipbuilding industry | Shipping companies |
|---|---|
| Possession of technical skills through shipbuilding experiences and familiarity with ships (but, lack of understanding of seafarers as a profession) | Challenges in recruiting seafarers and prioritization of employees with technical skills related to ships including welding and coating |
Identify ideas
| Transition of Ideas! Focus on job-creating opportunities by integration shipbuilding and shipping industries |
|---|
| Matching shipping companies with unemployed workers from the shipbuilding industry who possess technical skills in shipbuilding and repairing |
Step2 Develop a plan for cooperation between relevant institutions to overcome barriers
| Barriers | Resolution | Partner Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Limitations in using simple media on unidentified group of unemployed workers in the shipbuilding industry | Develop a cooperation system for 1 on 1 promotion targeting unemployed workers and guidelines for the project | Ulsan Dong-gu Shipbuilding Hope Center |
| Challenges in identifying the recruitment demand of shipping companies and requesting their proactive participation in projects | Recruit shipping companies to participate in projects through cooperation with specialized organizations and build a network | Korea Seafarer’s Welfare & Employment Center |
| Lack of availability to provide education and training for seafarers’ qualifications as UPA is not a legal training entity | Collaborate with a seafarers’ education and training organization to provide training to unemployed workers in the shipbuilding industry | Korea Institute of Maritime and Fisheries Technology (KIMFT) |
Step 3 Establish roles and process for strategic support
Seafarers work matching project
- Ocean-going vessels*
(below age 40) - Immediate employment (full-time)
(Interview and recruitment) - Implement seafarers’ education and training by each shipping company
- Completion of good job matching
- Domestic vessels**
(no age limits) - Trainee selection
(Interview and selection) - Support training for seafarers’ certification
- Personnel Pod management and prioritization of job matching
* Ocean-going vessels (vessels sailing to foreign ports): Immediate recruitment (full-time) to secure reserve seafarers for shipping companies
** Coastal vessels (vessels sailing to domestic ports): Composition of a pool for immediate recruitment in case of a need for seafarers replacement
Step 4 Organize 'Restart! Day for Shipping Companies and Seafarers Seeking for Work'(Aug. 2018)
- Participants: HR personnel of 5 shipping companies (3 ocean-going and 2 domestic) and about 120 people interested in becoming a Seafarers
- Key content: Explanation of Seafarers roles, arrangement of interviews between HR personnel and job seekers, etc.
Step 5 Support training to acquire seafarers’ certification
| Category | Basic safety training course | Basic training for oil tankers and chemical tankers |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Essential training curriculum to become Seafarers in accordance with Article 116 of Seafarers’ Act, Article 43 of the enforcement decree of the Act, and Article 57 of the enforcement regulation of the Act | Create essential training curriculum and additional courses in consideration of the characteristics of Ulsan Port where many tankers arrive and depart as the hub port for liquid bulk cargo |
Outcome
- (Job Creation) Create quality jobs for 52 job seekers in the shipbuilding industry through matching with shipping companies
- [From the interview of an HR personnel of a shipping company and a successful candidate]
- Successful candidate "It was a very meaningful event that not only created 52 jobs but also saved 52 families. I hope that it continues to give hope to my colleagues who have yet to find a job."
- Shipping company "The candidate had high understanding of work from his experience in the shipbuilding industry. I hope that we can create sustainable supply and demand for the shipping industry with more events."
- (Scalability and Sustainability) As the satisfaction of shipping companies on recruitment of unemployed workers in the shipbuilding industries is high, we can scale the project to other regions of crisis includuing Geoje, Tongyong, and Gunsan(Benchmarking and implementation in Geoje which experiences similar issues as Ulsan, October 2018)