Hurdles in maritime industry jobs

I read with interest the recommendations made by John M. Dalli in his article ‘Do what you love and you will never work another day in your life’ (May 30) intended mostly for those who are interested in maritime work.

My son is presently studying in this field and I confess that it is not an easy track to take, not only as regards the study material but also the hurdles one has to face to get going in such profession.

Let me list only the major obstacles: The course at MCAST is a complete waste of time and some subjects being taught are no long compatible with to­day’s technologies. You have to pay hefty money to start OOW courses with a private college locally or abroad. The basic expense for a start-up package is €9,000, of which the government, through JobsPlus schemes, can finance up to €6,000; the other €3,000 have to be forked out by us parents.

Training: you need to find a ship to get training and the majority of available jobs offer only work among cargo and doing paperwork. I understand that a captain needs to learn from A to Z  but you cannot provide opportunities only in, say, cargo handling, without the possibility of experiencing work on the bridge or the engine room.

A seafaring career is very expensive. Photo: Shutterstock.com

A full training course at Ħal Far TM facilities amounts to €20,000, supported by not more than €6,000 through JobsPlus, if funds are still available.

Looking at these major issues, how can you encourage upcoming students in this profession unless they are backed by wealthy families and with good contacts to get training on suitable and safe vessels?

The government, Transport Malta and Malta Maritime Forum Cooperative should sit down together and listen to us parents who are facing such issues. Sometimes, we feel sorry for letting our 18-year-olds take such a route.

Chris Zahra – Birżebbuġa

Transport reform

As the government is currently on a mission to reform our transport regulator, it is a perfect opportunity for the Malta Road Safety Council to be made an independent authority on the lines of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority with the same powers and legislative clout. 

Jim Wightman – St Julian’s

Pyrrhic victory

Bernard Grech and his gang at the PN’s Dar Ċentrali keep insulting the intelligence of their own voters.

Their latest case was the interpretation that they gave to the result of the PN’s one-horse leadership race in which Grech only managed to get the approval of just 72 per cent of all those PN voters who were eligible to vote. And keep in mind that these voters were not common PN voters but PN councillors, hence, regarded as diehard official PN voters.

Perhaps the most telling comment made on the interpretation of the result was by former PN and opposition leader Adrian Delia, when he said: “What option did they (PN councillors) have? If not him (Grech), who? What was the other option? To vote him out and have no leader? The real decision was made when the leader announced he would stay on after the election. After that, the councillors had no choice but to remain where they were.”

Funnily enough, former PN prime minister Lawrence Gonzi as well as former PN and opposition leader, Simon Busuttil – who, incidentally, was the first PN leader to fail being elected as prime minister – thought of giving Grech a helping hand by trying to shift the blame for their own and Grech’s dismal result since taking over the leadership of the PN onto the Labour government.

The only blame that Gonzi, Busuttil and Grech can lay at the PL government’s door is that, since 2013, the Maltese and Gozitan people have experienced the best-ever feel-good factor and standard-of-living. They have also noted that what the PL promises, it delivers. That is the sole reason why the PN has been receiving one electoral trashing after another – 11 up to now, and counting.

Eddy Privitera – Naxxar