Wilhelmsen Ship Management vice president Anette Bjerke Hoey welcomed government policies that aim to further improve the skills of Filipino seafarers, as the maritime industry shifts towards decarbonization and digitalization. Hoey noted they have increased the number of Filipino seafarers in their company to about 5,000 out of their total pool of 10,000 seafarers, citing the availability of skilled Filipino workers. She expressed that any policies from the government to increase the skills of Filipino crews would be very welcome, as upskilling crews is necessary to operate future ships safely and efficiently during the ongoing changes in the industry.

1. Firm Welcomes Gov't moves To Upskill
Seafarers

2. UPSKILLING. Wilhelmsen Ship
Management vice president for
marine personnel Anette Bjerke Hoey
(left) and Wilhelmsen vice president
of marketing and communication
Esther Gan. Hoey says they welcome
government policies that aim to
further improve the skills of Filipino
seafarers. (Photo by Joann S.
Villanueva)

3. MANILA – As the maritime industry shifts towards decarbonization and
digitalization, officials of a leading maritime recruitment and fleet
management firm said government policies that would further improve
Filipino seafarers' skills are “very much welcome.”

4. In a briefing on Thursday, Wilhelmsen Ship Management vice
president for marine personnel Anette Bjerke Hoey said they have
increased the number of Filipino seafarers in their team, citing the
availability of supply and their skills.

5. Hoey said they have about 5,000 Filipino personnel from a pool of 10,000
seafarers.

6. She said about 40 percent of the Filipino seafarers in their company are
officer ranks, and about 2 percent of them are female.

7. The company has a cadet program, which allowed the entry of more
Filipino seafarers by 194 percent in the past five years.

8. The Philippines is among the countries in the world that have a large supply of
skilled seafarers and Hoey said Wilhelmsen has been relying on this supply for the
past 43 years.

9. With the innovations and shifts in
the maritime industry, such as
towards decarbonization, she
said, “We are determined to equip
our local recruits with technical
and soft skills competence that is
required to operate future ships
safely and efficiently.”

10. Asked about any particular focus for government policy reforms for
seafarers, Hoey said they have not faced any negative experience among
their Filipino crews.

11. She said the company is “very much concerned about the changes in the
decarbonization and the future ships that are coming in.”

12. She added that the ongoing changes in the industry and the need to upskill their
crew is a must, thus the continuing program to further improve their personnel’s
technical skills.

13. “On our end when it comes to
(the) competence of the crew, we
are very much focused on getting
their technical skills up. Of
course, any policy that the
government gives will be (an)
additional welcome for us to
increase the skills of our crew,”
Hoey told the Philippine News
Agency (PNA).

14. She said career progression is among the primary focus of the company when it
comes to their crew, citing progress in “developing our Filipino officers to gain
experience in highly complex vessel segments like LPG, (liquified petroleum
gas), LNG (liquified natural gas), and cruise.”

15. Vessels called LPG or LNG tankers are carrier ships that are specifically designed to
transport natural gas.

16. “This added vessel segment experience adds significant value in their
career growth ahead,” Hoey added. (PNA)
News Source: Philippine News Agency

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