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Following is a question by the Hon Ronny Tong Ka-wah and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, at the Legislative Council meeting today (April 21):
Question:
Some members of the industry have indicated that seafarers are required to complete designated courses in Hong Kong before the expiry of their licences or certificates in order to obtain the necessary practising qualification. Currently, the Maritime Services Training Institute (MSTI) under the Vocational Training Council (VTC) is the only provider of such training courses in Hong Kong. In the event that there are not enough courses (e.g. there is currently a serious shortage of courses for seafarer (seagoing and river trade) licence and STCW95 licence), seafarers will be forced out of employment because they cannot obtain the necessary qualification, or alternatively will have to complete such courses overseas at high costs. Some members of the industry have also indicated that at present, there is also a shortage of courses in Hong Kong for certain minor licences (such as radar licence) in the industry, and that some shipping companies have resorted to importing labour on grounds of inadequate supply of local qualified personnel, thus aggravating the unemployment problem in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the number of STCW95 licences issued by the authorities each year from 2005 to 2009, as well as whether it knows the total number of courses run by VTC for such licences and radar licences etc. during the period;
(b) given that some members of the industry have pointed out that MSTI is at present the sole institution approved by the authorities to provide various specific maritime courses as required by the relevant ordinances and regulations, but some of its courses overlap with those offered by the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, which is another member institution under the VTC Group, or other institutions, yet there is a shortage of courses for seafarer (seagoing and river trade) licence, which are more professional in nature, whether it knows what mechanism VTC has put in place to maintain the development of professional courses offered by its member institutions and to avoid overlapping of courses, so as to ensure a more efficient use of its resources;
(c) whether it knows if MSTI has reduced the number of maritime training courses it offered in recent years because of the Government's intention to scale down the seafaring industry, or to replace local workers with imported labour; and
(d) regarding seafarers who are not able to enrol in the relevant courses due to a shortage of such courses, and hence fail to have the necessary licences or certificates renewed, what measures the Government has put in place to help them obtain the relevant qualification again or seek employment in the related industries?
Reply:
President,
The Maritime Services Training Institute (MSTI) is the major institution which offers training to deck officers in Hong Kong. It is also the sole provider of such training as required by the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW95). Our responses to the question over the shortage of specific courses and related matters are as follows:
(a) Training as required by the STCW95 covers different modules. To work on board a vessel, no matter in what position, one is required to take four compulsory modules, namely (1) Personal Survival Techniques; (2) Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting; (3) First Aid; and (4) Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities. The licences issued upon completion of the four modules are of permanent validity with no expiry date. Table 1 (For Table 1, 2 and 3, please refer to the Annex) shows the number of courses offered for the four modules and licences obtained by the students between 2005 and 2009.
In addition to the above core modules, the MSTI runs other modules to meet the job requirements of deck officers working on different types of vessels, such as oil tankers and passenger vessels. Table 2 shows the number of courses offered for these modules and licences issued between 2005 and 2009. Similarly, the licences issued are of permanent validity.
As required by the STCW95, the licences obtained upon completion of the three modules listed in table 3 are valid for five years. This is because seafarers need to keep up with the rapid developments in communication systems. They need to learn how to use the latest technology and systems. Moreover, as cargoes on oil tankers are all dangerous goods, it is essential to ensure that all seafarers update regularly their knowledge in oil tanker safety.
(b) Although the Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) and MSTI are both member institutions under the Vocational Training Council, they have different roles to play. The target groups and contents of their courses are also different. The IVE mainly provides pre-service education for Form 5 graduates, while the MSTI mainly offers in-service training to marine practitioners, particularly local deck officers. As the MSTI is the only local vocational training institution providing STCW95 training, it is unlikely that the courses it offers overlap with those of other institutions.
(c) The Government has not reduced the number of maritime training courses. Table 1 and 2 show that the numbers of courses provided for the four core modules and other modules for the past five years are roughly the same. Table 3 shows that the number of Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) General Operator Certificate courses has increased gradually. However, to cater for industry demand, courses on GMDSS (river trade) outnumbered those on GMDSS (ocean-going).
In parallel, the MSTI has progressively increased the intake of its diploma course on maritime studies from 30 in 2005 to 60 in 2009, and has upgraded its two-year diploma course on maritime studies to three-year higher diploma course with effect from the 2007/08 academic year. Separately, the number of deck cadets joining the sea-going profession has been on the rise in recent years.
(d) The MSTI plans the type and number of training courses to be run in light of the requirements of STCW95 and the Marine Department, the demand of the industry, possible enrolment and resources available. The plan is finalised after consultation with the Maritime Services Training Board. To put public money into more effective use, courses will be run only when the enrolment meets the minimum requirement. To help prospective trainees make appropriate arrangements, the MSTI regularly uploads the course information on its website. Seafarers can also obtain relevant information on the courses through the Hong Kong Seamen's Union (HKSU) or their shipping companies.
High speed craft service between Hong Kong and Macau surged dramatically between 2007 and 2008. MSTI provided courses, it was still not possible to fully meet the unexpected huge surge in demand for training. To help seafarers who were unable to enrol in relevant courses in time, the Government, with the support of HKSU, provided subsidies to some seafarers who needed to renew or extend their relevant licences to receive training in the Mainland. As for seeking employment in the related trades, seafarers may seek assistance from the Labour Department.
Ends/Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:16
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