Hong Kong based 109-year-old shipping company, The Wallem Group, has planned to invest Rs. 25-30 crore over the next 2-3 years across various locations in India, Kerala in particular, to attract young talents to join the maritime workforce.By opening a ‘Wallem Facilitation Centre’ in Kochi, the company has designed a well planned strategy to attract and train the skilled workforce (18-30 years age group) on a massive scale. This centre will provide free advice and counselling services to the university graduates who intend to join Merchant Navy across various positions at attractive salaries, said a Press release from Wallem Shipping.
As per the Maritime Agenda 2020 set by the Ministry of Shipping, the share of Indian seafarers is between 6 and 7% in the global shipping industry and wants to increase it to at least 9% by 2015.
The new Facilitation Centre will also assist the existing as well as potential seafarers of Wallem residing in Kerala to complete various necessary formalities before they start sailing on Merchant Navy ships. Wallem will also appoint a Directorate General of Shipping approved doctor to conduct medical tests of seafarers at the facilitation centre in Kochi.
The development assumes significance since the current literacy rate of Kerala is around 94% and the unemployment in the State was around 10% last year.
Apart from creating employment for the youth in Kerala, the move is also seen as a boon to the State’s economy through remittances that will flow back to the State’s economy.
The Wallem Group provides its clients with ship management, shipping agency, ship broking and IT services among others. Haakon Wallem, the Norwegian founder of The Wallem Group, established Wallem as a ship broking company in Shanghai in 1903. Haakon Wallem opened a branch in Hong Kong in 1925.
As on date, Wallem Group operates 49 offices in 19 countries including Wallem Shipmanagement (India) Pvt. Ltd. and Wallem Maritime Training (India) Pvt. Ltd as their subsidiaries in India.
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