Industry Focus - Engineering

Masters of the Sea

Be it a tanker, tugboat, commercial ship or cruise ship, marine engineers keep it all afloat. And how does one go about in getting a job in this ever-expanding sector? We speak to Ms Jolene Huang, HR Manager of Yantai Raffles Shipyard Limited who tells us all this and more. Q: What kind of engineers or technicians are employed by Yantai Raffles?

A: Yantai Raffles hires talents from a broad range of engineering disciplines such as electrical, mechanical, project and structural. Generally, we look for graduates from all fields of engineering though we prefer those with a background in either marine engineering or naval architecture.

More importantly, we believe that any talent must be a right fit for the company. We look for talents who are willing to strive hard, adapt to constant changes, possess leadership qualities and have the drive and passion to meet the demands of the industry.

We are a company who believes in our people and we have been investing heavily in learning and development efforts to ensure that our people stay abreast with developments in the industry. At the same time, this has enabled us to strategise for succession planning and ensure mobility of our talent pool across various functions.

Q: Do you employ your staff from just China and Singapore?

A: We are open to hiring candidates not only from China and Singapore. Yantai Raffles employs from not only Asian countries but also from the United States and Europe.

We pride ourselves as not only being an employer of choice but also as an employer of diversified nationalities and talents.

Q: Working in a shipyard - Is it really a male-dominated working environment?

A: Traditionally, it is a male-dominated industry but in recent years, we are seeing more females joining this industry.

This has been a breakthrough and has definitely widened our talent pool.

Q: What’s a typical day like working in such an environment?

A: The day usually starts with internal or external meetings with colleagues or clients for briefings and updating purposes. Yantai Raffles believes in effective communication through dialogs and feedback sessions.

Q: For someone considering a career in this line, how do you think the offshore/ marine industry would look like in the next 5 to 10 years?

A: The marine industry is currently experiencing an extremely buoyant period. Yantai Raffles sees itself becoming a major offshore shipyard in the next 10 years. With strategic employment and deployment of talents by the company, we see ourselves not only as a survivor in this exciting industry, but continue to thrive and outpace all major shipyards in the world.

Q: Finally, what advice would you give to those who intend to embark on a career in this industry?

A: A career in the marine industry is filled with endless opportunities. It is definitely an industry filled with challenges and growth potential for both the prospective employee and employer.

About Yantai Raffles Shipyard Limited Yantai Raffles Shipyard Limited (YRS) is a leading offshore and marine fabrication specialist. The Group is committed to deliver superior long-term returns to shareholders, create value for customers through the delivery of integrated quality solutions and develop a rewarding work environment for all its employees. Mr Brian Chang, Chairman of Yantai Raffles, entered China in 1991 with a vision of building the best shipyard in the world. In 1994, he founded Yantai Raffles which is located in Yantai, Shandong Province, China. Situated at the junction of Bo Hai Bay and the Yellow Sea, the shipyard is in close proximity to Korea and Japan, an area that accounts for 80% of the global shipbuilding capacity. Along with its unique geographical advantage, Yantai Raffles employs different skill sets from worldwide and is the only shipyard in China to be majority foreign-owned. Listed on the Oslo OTC Stock Exchange in Norway in May 2006, Singapore headquartered YRS specializes in jack-up drilling rigs, semi-submersible drilling rigs, FPSOs, FSOs, platform supply vessels, pipelay vessels, luxury yachts and other units. The 72-hectare shipyard boasts state-of-the-art building facilities, including the largest gantry crane in the world, with a lifting capacity of 20,000 metric tons due for completion during end 2007 and employs the latest technologies to achieve operational efficiencies and lower costs. In 2002, the shipyard obtained the ISO 9001:2000 certification. With its core mission of attaining excellent quality, competitive pricing and client satisfaction, Yantai Raffles is committed to be The Yard Of Choice.

(This article was first published in JobsDB.com - link)