China: Engine of the Asian Cruise Industry
Cruise holidays. Despite the now mundane miracle of aviation travel, Earth's deep oceans and seas still beckon to millions of holidaymakers year on year. Or, if perhaps not the water herself, then the concomitant aspects of contemporary cruise travel. A number of days if not weeks aboard a gargantuan, luxury-focused ship, which is replete from fore to aft with swimming pools, cafes, bars, restaurants, libraries, retail departments, casinos…did we mention bars, too? Magnificent.
A Flexible Workforce is Crucial Offshore
WRS CEO Mark Brown investigates the importance of marine and ship management companies’ utilization of a more flexible workforce. As offshore-focused businesses weather the unprecedented industry downturn, many companies servicing the sector are looking for ways to more efficiently manage costs in order to survive. Since the oil price started to contract in June 2014, radical cost reductions across all upstream businesses began in earnest as capital expenditures were slashed by 40 percent in the period up to 2016 (PWC).
How Can the Marine Industry Counteract Its Aging Workforce?
It’s been widely reported over recent years that the maritime industry is facing a workforce crisis. A lack of newly trained candidates to fill the gaps caused by retirement of an aging workforce, now compounded even further by the oil price crash, means marine companies are beginning to feel the pressure of staff shortages. The U.K. Department for Transport (DFT) predicts a shortfall of around 3,500 deck and engineering officers by 2021 in the U.K. alone, and the BIMCO / ICS Manpower Report predicts the global shortfall of 147,500 officers by 2025.
WRS Named a Best Company to Work For
Worldwide Recruitment Solutions (WRS), a recruitment company specializing in talent acquisition across the oil and gas, mining, marine and power sectors globally, was listed as the U.K.’s 18th best small company to work for at the Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work For 2014 awards ceremony on February 26. WRS was also awarded a three-star rating (the maximum available) for its employee engagement, care and staff satisfaction. A total of 897 businesses registered to take part in the Sunday Times’ four surveys; the leading 325 were recognized in four lists: “100 Best Companies to Work For;” “100 Best Small Companies to Work For…
