IES MEDITERRANEO INTERVIEWS RESULTS

IES MEDITERRANEO  INTERVIEWS RESULTS

                During the meeting in Gdansk our students made a presentation of the results of the six interviews carried out to workers in our port of Cartagena.

                These interviews can be seen completely in our school´s web page. You only have to click on the Comenius Logo and it will lead you to our blog.

http://portcitiescomenius.blogspot.com.es/

They presented a wide range of activities related to the harbour; the first one was made by a shipyard worker. He works for one of the most important ship building firms in Spain, NAVANTIA. The second interview was answered by a Navy Corporal, the third one by a Tug Boat worker, the fourth one was made by a worker at SAES (Submarine Electronics Corporation), the fifth one was a sailor at the Yatch Club and the last one to a Ship Agent in Ership SAU.

                As a general overview of the interviews we can conclude that some of them got their jobs through a pre-selection course and others through vocational training or just presenting their curriculum directly at the firm.

Half of them had always wanted to work in jobs related to the harbour and the sea and the other half simply found a good job opportunity.

In the private sector there are more possibilities for promotion an you get a higher salary, -above all if you have a degree and speak foreign languages- but jobs are less safe than in the Navy.

Another aspect that appeared in the interviews was that everybody agrees that all jobs can be carried out by men and women.

Regarding apprenticeship it can take from some months to a year to receive professional education at the port, of course depending on the job.

There is a strong feeling that the harbour is essential for the city as a great part of the economy and tourism depend on the Navy and Business Enterprises related to it.

As an example of these interviews we enclose the one made to a SHIP AGENT  at ERSHIP.:

1.     How did you get your job?

I got my job thanks to my father. In February year 2.001, he introduced me to a man who was Manager for an important company in the Port of Cartagena. This gentleman, nowadays my boss, offered me a job and in just one month I started working for Ership SAU.

2.     Have you always wanted to work in / for the port?

 I had never thought about working in the port before. My intention was to perform a job where I could use English as a language. Fortunately, by working in the port I have achieved this goal.

3.     Could you make clear from examples, which professions one can pursue in your business / company / agency, and what career opportunities one has?

Within the port community, you can find private companies which focus

on several areas: Ships agents, Stevedores, Ship chandlers, etc. Moreover, there are  Authorities such as the Harbour Master, the Port Authority, Customs... My company offers every service that a ship may need at port: Ships agents, stevedoring, storing of goods, customs formalities, Ships Owners, Ships brokers and so on.

4.     Are there comparable occupations in the Navy / in the free economy? The only occupation comparable in the navy which I can think of is the one of Ship Chandler. Every ship, no matter if merchant or navy ship, needs a ship chandler  to supply provisions.

5.     What jobs has your organization specifically for women / men?

My company hasn´t  specific jobs for men or women, although we can assure that within the port community, men  work both at harbour and office, while women usually work only at offices. In case of my company, all people at the harbour are men, while in the office we have men and women.

6.     What are the academic requirements you must meet in order to work in the harbour?

 Depending on your job within the harbour, you will need different requirements. For instance, in order to handle a crane or a  bulldozer you will need a particular driving license. To be in contact with ships, you will need to speak perfect English, since all the crew are foreigner. So there isn't just one type of academic requirement needed, but different ones depending on what job you have.

7.     How long does it take to have an apprenticeship / to receive professional education at the port?

It depends on each job. To become a professional crane operator it will take one year more or less to be ready to perform the job. In other simpler jobs, maybe a couple of months will be enough.

8.     Are there offers for an integrated degree programme?

As far as I know..... there isn't any offered by my company.

9.     Do you offer stays abroad during the training courses? Not applicable.

10. How safe is a job after training especially in the Navy? 

I can answer according to my experience in my company. Within these eleven years I have been working for Ership, every person who has trained for a job and who has been finally hired, has kept his/her employment permanently so far.

11. What are the income opportunities in the Navy / in the free economy? Nowadays, I think  that  the port community in Cartagena offers more job opportunities than any other economic sector. The port is becoming bigger and more important, and so do the companies working for or in the port. Having a solid, permanent income every month is something very valuable, especially now. Working in the port offers you that.

12. What percentage of the economy of the city has the commercial port / the navy / tourism?

The impact of the port on the economy of the city is crucial. We have to highlight that the port of Cartagena was the most successful one last year according to its benefits among the rest of the Spanish ports . Nowadays, it is the fifth port in Spain according to its movement of goods. Last year, the port moved about twelve million metric tones of goods. This year it is expected to reach more than twenty million metric tones of movement. This shows the increasing tendency of ships traffic and harbour operations in the port of Cartagena.

13. Could this city survive without a harbour?

Since the times before the Romans, Cartagena has been always successful thanks to its harbour. Nowadays, one of the main engines of the city economy is the harbour. Sothe answer is "certainly no".

14. Which (especially economic) significance does the Navy / your business enterprise have for the city?

 The reason why I consider my company very important  for Cartagena follows the same explanation than the one I gave regarding the impact of the port on the city economy. Among the overall quantity of  cargo  expected for this year in the port (about 20 million metric tones), my company expects to load/discharge about 5 million.  Ership is clearly the strongest ships agents, the one with more ships brought to the port and the one with more port operations.

15. Which countries does our port have the largest trade with?

We can say that on the one hand, ships' owners are usually from Northern Europe countries, Greece, Turkey and Spain.  On the other hand, Cartagena is mainly a bulk cargo receiver port. This cargo comes from Eastern Europe and Southern America mostly.

(This interview was made to Mr. Jorge Martín Barceló. Ship Agent  in ERSHIP SAU. CARTAGENA.)