Need for excellence in maritime education

Need for excellence in maritime education
By Asghar Ali

How right was Arthur C. Clarke to have said: “How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly ocean”.

A major portion of the earth’s surface is covered by the oceans. One of the major uses of the oceans since the last many centuries has been the transportation of goods onboard ships. Shipping flourished exponentially during the last two centuries and the seafaring profession became international, stream-lined and acknowledged. Shore-based maritime sector benefited from the experience and expertise of the ex-seafarers who found themselves employed in various capacities.

Pakistan is a large and diverse country with all types of topography: glaciers, mountains, rugged plateau, fertile fields, sandy deserts and a long coastline. This all is further augmented by a jurisdiction over the large Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), proudly called the fifth and largest province of the country. Economic activities that relate to this fifth province are numerous in existence with much more in the pipeline.

Pakistan’s economy is dependent upon sea transport for its key exports — raw materials and agricultural commodities — and imports, mostly manufactured goods. Most of the country’s trade is done through ships. With the planned development of the Gwadar Port and Coastal Belt, coastal shipping too is going to rise in importance.

Marine space also provides a wealth of resources — minerals such as oil and gas, fish and tourism/recreational resources. It is increasingly recognised that the development and use of marine resources needs to be undertaken in an ecologically sustainable manner to ensure that they remain available for future generations. It is also critical for the industries that operate in the marine environment to do so in a way that minimises their impact upon it. Oceans and coasts are also important in a cultural/social context.

Pakistan has a rich maritime history and heritage. The largest city of the country, Karachi, is situated on the coastline. It houses the largest port structure, shipping activities and related industrial complex. The earliest and major portion of settlers who arrived here came by sea in order to populate the coastal belt, as did the colonizers with rich maritime background and expertise.

A large portion of our population lives beside or close to the sea or travel to the seaside to relax, and such people are going to increase in number in the near future with plans for a new port structure and coastal development.

The industries that operate in or are dependent upon marine environment are critical to the well-being of coastal or maritime communities. These industries — the maritime sectors, also make a significant contribution to our national prosperity and growth. Success of these sectors is totally dependent on a skilled, highly qualified and motivated workforce at all levels.

Pakistan, like other developing nations, has been experiencing an acute shortage of trained and qualified workforce and managers for its maritime sector and industry with reliance on foreign sources of expertise.

First of all, we need to identify the maritime sector as we are generally not so conversant with this segment of our national economy.

Various sectors of the maritime industry, which collectively form what is known in some countries as the maritime cluster, are probably the most diverse and varied within industrial sectors. These include but are not limited to port authorities and terminal operators; stevedore companies and contract labour suppliers; marine equipment suppliers and manufacturers; commercial and maritime insurance; regulatory authorities and maritime administrations; shipping management and shipping companies; dredging and hydrographic services; surveying and classification societies; shipbuilding, boatbuilding and marine construction; shipyards and repair docks; maritime law and legal consultancies.

We have security agencies such as the Maritime Security Agency (MSA) and the Pakistan Coast Guard for protection against illegal activities. The maritime sector is yet expanded to the associated industries ashore like yachting and recreational crafts; sailing clubs and diving facilities; seafood industries and restaurants; marine tourism and recreation industry; offshore minerals and energy extraction; government and defence organisations; maritime education and training and research and development.

Most of these sectors have benefited in the past from an inflow of well-educated, disciplined practitioners, namely seafarers, who after serving at sea for a number of years, would come and take shore-based positions. The use of oceans has expanded much ahead of shipping and new areas of study such as environment, sea-bed resources, fisheries, marine biology, coastal zone management etc. Associated professions like port management, shipping management and international law require dedicated experts and scholars. New world order demands new emphasis on issues like marine security, terrorism, piracy and maritime fraud to insure world peace in the 21st century.

We are now witnessing an enormous shift in our approach on how we visualise the oceans and seafaring profession.

With new and advanced technologies at the disposal of human beings, ships are hi-tech machines with reduced needs of man power. Highly-qualified seafarers are required to run advanced ships. Seafaring has become rather demanding as far as physical and mental abilities and strengths are concerned. It is widely recognised that most sea-going officers leave the sea at a certain point in their lives to take up employment ashore in a marine-related job. This is also when they need specialised education and training to build upon their sea experience and make themselves suitably qualified for the shore-based maritime industry.

The United Kingdom is still seen as a major world centre for shipping commerce. It relies heavily on its ports that provide the infrastructure necessary for the import and export of 95 per cent of their goods. Apart from practical reasons, these industries are vital to UK’s economy. Not only are they major employers, they also produce a hidden income for the country. Meanwhile, employers in some of these maritime sectors feel that their future is threatened by a shortage of skilled individuals. Concern over the number of available former officers suitably qualified for the work have sparked a series of research in UK, which has culminated into multiple governmental actions and industry-led initiatives aimed at buoying up the numbers working in the industry.

The strategy adopted by UK to achieve the growth in human resource development in the maritime sector is two-pronged — a marketing strategy aimed at increasing awareness of careers in the industry and to make information more readily available and widening access to training opportunities and bring up the value of qualifications to increase their suitability for absorption in the industry.

A better career marketing approach has crystallised into marketing campaigns aimed at promoting shipping to the public as well as to the decision makers. The Chamber of Shipping, seamen’s unions and similar organisations have promoted a number of initiatives to increase the profile of shipping in the UK.

One such initiative is the Fighting Sea Blindness campaign, which aims to help promote coordination of various groups’ efforts in relation to maritime issues and employment. More specific measures included the production of a career video, poster and information packs for distribution in schools as well as on several web sites, which feature information and links concerning careers at sea and in maritime industry.

Sea Vision, promoted by the UK Chamber of Shipping, was launched in January 2003. The initiative aimed at raising awareness about the maritime sector and its importance in UK’s economy followed by generating interest in a range of marine careers. The strategy may not be new, however, Sea Vision does not specifically relate to shipping and shipping-related industries. It encompasses other marine sectors such as ship and boat building, marine leisure, defence, fishing, environment, commerce and so on. The initiative draws together regional and specific centres of expertise in promotion and education. These aim to generate and disseminate careers materials to relevant targeted areas and to provide a public relations vehicle by attending specific public events.

As part of a number of measures taken by the UK government to support an increase in cadet numbers, it has supported the industry’s creation of the Maritime Training Trust. The trust provides a central point for the receipt and administration of the industry’s financial contributions towards supporting further seafarer training. The concept of the trust was that companies could voluntarily contribute to the costs of training seafarers through money donations to a pool, rather than making any direct training investment themselves. This scheme was aimed at shore-based maritime companies and also shipping companies that do not have their own training programmes.

Numerous studies over the past decade have been conducted in Australia also, indicating a similar pattern to that of the United Kingdom with suitable remedial measures undertaken to boost the maritime sector there.

Keeping all this in view, there is a dire need to study and analyse the recent trends in maritime education and training worldwide and evaluate a strategy whereby Pakistan can cope with these new developments in the maritime sector. Only then will we be able to remain abreast with the world in general and region in particular and use our marine resources for the betterment of our people.

Pakistan too needs to realise the importance of new emerging study areas linked with the seafaring profession. We need to educate our young generation in professions such as environment, insurance, law, security and financial management linked with the maritime sector. It is only through such measures that we will be able to expand our operations in the maritime industry.

Publish in Education section of Dawn Newspaper on Oct. 19, 2008.

http://www.dawn.com/weekly/education/archive/081019/education3.htm

The writer is research fellow at the National Centre for Maritime Policy Research (NCMPR), Bahria University

CAREERS: Petroleum engineering Fuelling career

CAREERS: Petroleum engineering Fuelling career

By Sahar Majid

According to Wikipedia, “The subsurface engineering activities related to the production of hydrocarbons, which can be either crude oil or gas are referred to as petroleum engineering”. A petroleum engineer is assigned for managing oil and gas fields.

There are three main categories for a petroleum engineer: reservoir engineer who works to optimise the production of oil and gas via proper well placement and enhanced oil recovery techniques; drilling engineer who manages the technical aspects of drilling of both production and injection wells; and production engineer who is responsible for managing the interface between the reservoir and the well.

In recent years, petroleum engineering has gained substantial importance due to the vital role of oil in every segment of life. Petroleum engineering offers a bright career scope in Pakistan and abroad. Many of our petroleum engineers have been working in the Middle East, Europe and the US, and are earning handsome salaries.

In Pakistan, petroleum engineering discipline was first introduced by University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore in 1969. Then, in 1983 Mehran University of Engineering and Technology established a separate department of fuel engineering, which later on was changed to the ‘department of petroleum and gas engineering’. And recently in January 2005, NED University of Engineering and Technology has also added petroleum engineering as a degree programme in the list of their various engineering disciplines.

“Candidates with an HSC (Pre-engineering) certificate are eligible to apply for a degree programme in petroleum engineering. After completing a four-year Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree, fresh graduates are appointed as ‘trainee engineers’ by national as well as multinational firms,” explains Ahmed Saeed Khan, chairman, department of petroleum and manufacturing engineering, UET, Lahore. Khan adds that the initial salaries given to the trainee engineers are about Rs25,000 per month and after six-months of training, they are paid around Rs35,000 per month.

As the engineers gain more and more experience, they are given attractive increments. Ahmed also reveals the lucrative earnings in the field of petroleum engineering in foreign countries. “Our petroleum engineers who have been working abroad for many years are now minting money,” he says.

Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Pakistan Petroleum Ltd. (PPL), British Petroleum (BP) — Pakistan, OMV Group and ENI Pakistan Ltd. are some of the many oil and gas exploration and production companies that hire petroleum engineers. There are several other companies that offer different services related to oil and gas exploration such as drilling and integrated well services. Petroleum engineers are in great demand by these firms as well.

While discussing career choices for a petroleum engineer, Sahibzada Haider Rizwan, Chief Geologist, New Horizon Exploration and Production Ltd (NHEPL) says, “Petroleum industry is divided into two main categories: upstream and downstream. Upstream sector deals with the exploration and then production phase, while downstream is all about refining, transportation and marketing of the finished products. Petroleum engineers who want to pursue a career in downstream sector can opt to work in companies like Pakistan State Oil (PSO).”

If you want to pursue a career in petroleum engineering, you should keep in mind that the job of a petroleum engineer is not restricted to air-conditioned offices. Most petroleum engineers have to work in the fields except those who are responsible for analysing the reports and recommending the field engineers and advising corporate decision-makers on whether to proceed or not. Therefore, the field engineers should have to be mentally as well as physically strong enough to endure long-distance travel, long stays and to bear uncertain weather conditions. Besides, petroleum engineers have to work with a team of geologists and contractors, which is why they should also possess strong and effective communication skills.

Petroleum engineering has a wide scope, and it opens various other doors of opportunities after one has gained extensive experience about oil industry. So, if you stop enjoying getting your hands dirty by digging oil wells, you may opt to become industry analyst. You may also enter in environmental companies or become consultants to professional oil organisations.

Publish in Sci-Tech World section of Dawn Newspaper on April 19, 2008.

http://www.dawn.com/weekly/science/archive/080419/science10.htm

Become a Career Activist

Following are the four key principles discussed by Barbara Moses in her book Career Intelligence, to become a career activist.

In a chapter Become a Career Activist she highlighted that in order to become a career intelligent you need to be a career activist. She define career activist as one who define him or herself independently from their organization, and taking charge of their own career choices. Any individual can make these choices if he or she knows who they are and what their strengths, interests and values are.

Four key principles of career management for becoming a career smart.

1. Be a career activist

“To be a career activist means to design your own future”. She give an example that we give enough attention to our health, finances and children but we give the least amount of attention to the area of our life which affect us most- our career. Therefore we need to bring a focus to this important area by becoming a career activist and defining our career in terms of who we are independent of our organization, job title, or what other people think of us.

Remember that the key for future career success is YOU, it is you who is responsible for your career success.

2. Know yourself

“To make informed choices it’s crucial to know yourself”. The key is to know your strengths, weakness, interest and values”. The process of knowing begins when we ask our self ordinary questions that could produce extra ordinary results such as who we are, what we want, where we want to go, what we want to do, what we are good at, what we value most and what we care about. Beside that you also need to define your personal ‘work ID’ based on your skills, attributes, interests, values and personal preferences. Remember self-knowledge bring focus to our career and enrich opportunities.

3. Know what you love

“To know what is important to you, you have to know what you love. Knowing what you love doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to find work that matches your passion, but it is a good first step”. Knowledge about yourself, your priorities and values is crucial to your career satisfaction. If you lost track of time in your work, it mean you love what you do “Work is one of the best ways people can express themselves”, writes Mihaly Csikszentimihalyi in his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. “But it won’t happen without your participation. You have to ask yourself what you want out of life and find a job that is at least in part expressive of your own best abilities”.

4. Be who you are

“Don’t try to be something you are not”. Be who you are – your authentic self. “The market always determined what is desired, fashionable, valued and profitable”. We make a mistake by submitting to those market perceptions. “People turn themselves inside out to fit into positions that are fundamentally awful match with their skills, interests and values because they are terrified of being without a job”. Therefore we need to step back, reflect this and refuse to worship these market gods. “We each bring to the table a unique set of skills and attributes, which meaningfully describe who we are and how we can add value. We need to play through our strengths”.

Remember, you have a future and you have to create it. In short become a career activist means know yourself, develop a personal identity, do what you love and be who you are – a competent and effective human being. “Becoming an activist is not a luxury, it’s the key to your future career success.”

Career Decision Making Process

Career Decision Making Process

Career decision making process is very simple but requires lot of hard work and commitment. Its a three step process:

step 1 is know yourself

step 2 is know your work/career options and

step 3 is setting goal and taking action

In short the more you know about your skills, interests and what type of career options available, the more quickly you get into action and master the game of life. once you start moving into right direction then its up to you to decide how fast you want to move toward your destination.

Every long term goal require a game plan, you cannot become an engineer just by thinking, you need a game plan of how many hour your need to study, what courses you need to take and how much numbers you need to get an admission in engineering university or college. similarly we also need a game plan for our career success.

A simple formula for career success is

Interest + Career Goal + Action = Career Success

Follow the following three steps to navigate toward career success.

Know Yourself

The most common way to know yourself is to ask why, what, who, when and where questions to yourself, and sometime its difficult to answer these questions. But there are more structured assessment tools available in market which helps to answer some of these questions. Assessment tools help you learn about your interest, skills, personality and goals. After taking the interest assessment you can supplement your self knowledge by taking value survey, personal style survey and skill survey to create your career blueprint.

Know your work

To know your career goal, you need to explore your career options. there are different ways with which you can explore your career options, one is collecting information about career fields and occupations, which include labor market information about job description, career prospects, earnings, educational qualification and career paths. other options include networking, information interviewing, job shadowing and volunteering.

It is recommended to create a portfolio of all this occupational research. Sometime it takes few months and sometime it take years to collect this information and to make an informed career selection. A portfolio helps keep your information in one place and can be either electronic or in hard copy.

Taking Action

Once you finished with your occupational exploration, select those occupations that you find most interesting. List your top five. From this list you should be able to select a career goal. Goals are simple ideas about what you'd like to accomplish. Your long term career goal is to be a creative copy writer for an advertising company. What short term goals do you need to achieve your long-term goal? List the skills, education, and experience required for your career goal.

Think about what is most important in your life and the career choices that fit to your values.

Once you set your career goal, than its time to put them into action. Remember career exploration is a learning process. you might make mistake or change your mind. that is the part of the process. If one goal or strategy doesn't work out for you, restart and try another strategy or goal. Often there are different career paths to achieve the same goal.

Career Guidance and Counseling in Pakistan

The need for career guidance and counseling in Pakistan has grown significantly during last few years especially for school and colleges students. This is because of the following factors:

first, rapid changes in technology, and lack of skills and resources in our students to cope with these changes

second, lack of informed, relevant and clear guidance

third, lack of trained teachers and counselors in career guidance in our schools and colleges

Career guidance and counseling services need could only be filled if school educate and train their teachers in the use of career guidance and counseling tools and techniques. And adopt a comprehensive career guidance model.

We will discuss and suggest a career guidance and counseling model on our next post.

Imran Pardasi

3 C's of Personal Career Branding

For establishing strong personal career brand you need to follow 3 C's rule - Clarity, Consistency and Constantly.

It means give clear message of your brand with consistent theme and content of similar messages that constantly present themselves to the outside world.

"You can't spell the word Brand without the letter 'C' - Clarity, Consistency, Constancy" William Arruda

Career Pakistan: Reverse Brain Drain Program

Career Pakistan has an interesting Reverse Brain Drain Program, and many other similar projects with the following mission in mind.

www.careerpakistan.org

Career Pakistan assists individuals with foreign education or overseas work experience find appropriate jobs in Pakistan.

For Pakistan's economic competitiveness, the country must strive to attract and retain world-class professionals in various segments of the economy. Individuals with foreign education or overseas work experience are in a peerless position to become carriers of this expertise to Pakistan. Many times these individuals, with affiliations to globally celebrated universities and organizations, possess training and expertise of exceptional value. Furthermore, the ensuing chains of knowledge-transfer spearheading from each arriving professional can cause a catalytic effect on the managerial, technical, and policy-making capacities of organizations here. When viewed cumulatively, the contribution of such highly qualified professionals can thus mobilize a persuasive influence on national development. However, to relocate to Pakistan, and subsequently to continue residence in the country, these individuals aspire for an agreeable job in Pakistan.

Career Pakistan matches overseas professionals with appropriate jobs in Pakistan to help reverse Pakistan's brain drain. Additionally, Career Pakistan also aids professionals with foreign education or overseas work experience already working in Pakistan find better career opportunities here. The overarching end in both cases is to attract as well as to retain talent.

Five Steps to Help Pakistan's Educated Unemployed

Hello

Now a days I am searching articles, websites and other resources related to career development in Pakistan. As part of this research I have found the following article on yespakistan website (see the link below). Please read, reflect and reply at CPP.

http://www.yespakistan.com/education/help_unemployed.asp

Regards

Imran Pardesi

Evaluation of Guidance and Counseling Programs in Pakistan - PhD Thesis

Hello

Recommendation for career guidance and counseling programs in teacher training institutions in Pakistan.

Please see the following link for further reading.

http://prr.hec.gov.pk/Thesis/216.pdf

Summary of findings are:

ABSTRACT The main purpose of the study was evaluation of Guidance and Counselling programs in the teacher training institutions of Pakistan.

The data collected and findings reported lead to the following main conclusions:
1. The faculty members have shown positive attitude towards Guidance and Counselling.
2. The B.Ed./M.Ed. male trainees have shown high negative attitude towards Guidance and Counselling.
3. The B.Ed./M.Ed. female trainees have indicated a slight negative attitude towards the Guidance and Counselling.

The above lead lo the following recommendations:
a) Guidance and Counselling should be made compulsory at the B.Ed/M.Ed,levels.
b) The curriculum in Guidance and Counselling should be revised and made practically oriented.
c) For the provision of master trainers in the field of Guidance and Counselling,special programmes should be arranged at the post graduate level.
d) Proper provision should be made in the programmes of teacher training institutions for the dissemination of information about Guidance and Counselling

Introduction to CPP

Career Professionals of Pakistan (CPP) blog is dedicated for the distribution of information related to career development in Pakistan.