NYK Enhances Measures to Proactively Employ Filipino Seafarers

October 4, 2011

On September 16, a groundbreaking ceremony was held in the presence of NYK president Yasumi Kudo and Transnational Diversified Group (TDG)1 founder and chairman J. Roberto C. Delgado to pray for the safe realization of the expansion of the NYK-TDG Maritime Academy’s (NTMA) facilities and the construction of crew training facilities adjacent to the academy. The construction will be completed in 2013, allowing NYK to further expand and develop education and training for Filipino senior officers.

NYK and TDG opened NTMA in 2007, prior to the establishment of any similar facility by any other shipping company, for the purpose of education for high-quality seafarers. In fact, NYK’s medium-term management plan, “More Than Shipping 2013: Grow with Asia, Expand across the Globe,” released on March 31, emphasizes cultivating high-quality seafarers to ensure safe operations — seafarers who can eventually differentiate NYK’s service from others with their superior skills — and NTMA plays a key role in the education.

This year has already been a memorable one for NTMA. Early in the month, the first class to have completed the academy’s four-year curriculum graduated. NYK will leverage this opportunity to accelerate the proactive, strategic employment of Filipino officers for higher positions on all types of vessels, including high-risk vessels such as very large containerships, very large crude-oil carriers (VLCCs), and LNG carriers.

Additionally, to best exercise its unique technological advantage, NYK has adopted a policy of heightening in-group management of NYK-operated vessels and seafarer manning for those vessels. To further increase the number of Filipino seafarers and improve their capabilities, NYK will place emphasis on the following four fields in the Philippines:

Cadet education (NTMA)
• Enlarging facilities to accommodate a future increase in students (from 120 to 180 annually)
• Improving education programs and reinforcing instructors
• Introducing new training equipment
• Increasing training ships

Seafarer manning
• Expanding and reforming the manning company’s existing office
• Reinforcing manning staff members to further strengthen the management and recruitment of seafarers

Seafarer training
• Relocating* and expanding existing training facilities
• Reinforcing instructors to upgrade training content
• Introducing new training equipment to upgrade training content

*The existing facilities will be relocated from Manila to premises adjacent to NTMA in suburban Canlubang. This relocation will enhance the coherence and correlation of the content of training for seafarers who have already obtained certification as ship officers, and the content of cadet education.

Ship Management
• NYK Shipmanagement Pte. Ltd. (Head Office: Singapore)2 establishes a branch office in the Philippines.

Outline of the Philippines branch office of NYK Shipmanagement Pte. Ltd.
Establishment: To be established in the second half of FY2011
(Aiming to launch a joint venture with TDG in FY2013)
Scale: Initial management of about 10 vessels
(Aiming for 50 vessels in FY2013, and up to 100 in the future)
Type of ship: Dry bulkers
(Under consideration: containerships, car carriers, and tankers)

With the development of a full system encompassing cadet education, manning, and training of seafarers through to ship management within the Philippines, NYK strives to promote smooth communication and speedy feedback between responsible members so as to establish a solid structure to enable the NYK Group to further ensure safe shipping operations.

Upon commencement of the ship management business in the Philippines, a new onshore post of “superintendent” will be created in the Philippines. In accordance with the increase in the number of ships being managed, new positions that will require tens of seafarers will be generated in the future. This implies that an ideal environment will form within the NYK Group giving Filipino seafarers a variety of options for their careers as marine professionals.

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1 Transnational Diversified Group (TDG)
A business group established by Chairman J. Roberto C. Delgado. Business activities include vessel agent services, seafarer manning, training and cadet education, as well as other logistics businesses. TDG and NYK have maintained a cooperative relationship since the establishment of TDG in 1976.

2 NYK Shipmanagement Pte. Ltd.
A Singapore-based wholly owned subsidiary that represents the core of the NYK Group’s ship-management structure. The company provides ship-management services for about 130 NYK Group vessels, offers seafarer manning services, and conducts training.

NYK Line, press release