Gdynia Maritime University – We are ready to train staff for the purposes of Brazilian offshore market
Date of publication: 12.08.2013

Brazil is currently the sixth largest economy in the world. Support and promotion of the Polish economy was the main goal of the meeting of the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radoslaw Sikorski and his Brazilian counterpart Antonio Patriota. Maritime education is a crucial part of the Polish offer directed to the Brazilian offshore sector – one of the driving forces of the Brazilian, economic success.

- For five years, we have been training crew members, who are a part of the global staff database of the offshore market. We conduct elementary and advanced courses of dynamic positioning, dedicated to officers working on research and support vessels, as well as tankers operating in the area of sea rigs – informs Dr Eng. Capt. of MP Henryk Sniegocki, associate professor of GMU.
Many graduates of Gdynia Maritime University serve on shuttle tankers, the largest units for oil transport purposes.

The dynamically developing, Brazilian oil sector lures the world’s largest tanker operators. Currently, such large companies as: V Ships, Knutsen OAS Shipping, Teekay Shipping and many others already operate in Brazil. Fleets are steadily expanding, what entails an increase in demand for trained personnel.

- As a maritime academy, we have been looking towards Brazil.  We would like to attract candidates for training. This concerns both the admission of foreign students in marine studies as well as vocational training for the offshore sector: welders, pipe layers and other staff. We have a lot of experience in this field, as for years, we have been training specialists for the Scandinavian offshore sector.

 On behalf of Gdynia Maritime University, Capt. Henryk Sniegocki actively cooperates with major ship-owners with the view to educate personnel. The University is very open to cooperation with major companies, which are interested in sending their employees for trainings.

- The high level of education at Polish maritime universities makes our maritime diplomas well recognized in the world. Our graduates are often employed by established ship-owners. The quality of education puts us at the forefront of the global maritime universities. The whole time we are working to make sure education is at a very high level. In the engine room or the bridge there is no place for people with low qualifications. Our system of training and certification provides the highest quality.

Within a year, only in the full-time Department of Navigation, approximately 100 graduates  leave the University with a degree. Taking into account part-time graduates and post-secondary school, the GMU educates more than 200 navigators per year. In addition, there are students of other maritime departments. Each, of over hundreds of  academy’s graduates, after completing a few short courses, are qualified to work in the offshore sector.  

- Our latest statistics prove, that over 90% of our graduates find employment for which they were trained for. Gdynia Maritime University conducts studies in 24 specializations. If we exclude the strictly land departments, after which employment is more difficult to find, we can say with full responsibility that all graduates of maritime departments obtain jobs.

After receiving the officer of the watch diploma, in order to obtain a job in the Brazilian offshore sector, the graduate must complete an elementary and advanced course of  dynamic positioning, as well as offshore loading. This is the most common path, chosen by our graduates.

Great ship-owners operating in the Brazilian offshore sector, for years have been willing to hire Polish workers. The next step is direct cooperation with Brazilian institutions and identifying the needs of the market. We can send Poles to work offshore in the local market, or take on the task of training Brazilian workers in this sector.

The statistics say that there is an approx. 3%  lack in the maritime staff with highest qualifications.  Offshore sector, due to the continuous development, will need more and more employees to work on oil rigs (certified welders and other workers) and on ships.

- The Brazilian government requires that a certain percentage of the ship crews belonging to companies serving their offshore market,  are Brazilian citizens. So far, training opportunities of their staff in Brazil is limited. Gdynia Maritime University is ready to take on this task. With the experience of shipping companies, Brazilians are aware of the possibilities of obtaining human resources in our country, but as for now, I think they are not yet fully informed about training opportunities at Polish universities.

Currently, in the global ranking of maritime universities, Gdynia Maritime University takes the second place, right after the Shanghai Maritime University.

 - We run a student exchange program with Shanghai university. In the near future, the Navigation Department authorities of Gdynia Maritime University plan to take on a group of students from allied Shanghai Maritime University.