Slow going for trainees

[suby]

Really battling to get some time offshore at the moment as a trainee. Seems to be too many trainees and not enough positions. Is this a common issue? 😕

[Ray Shields]

Yes.

Just because there is a shortage of people, doesnt mean the industry can suddenly take on hundreds of new people overnight. It takes time, it takes money and training by the company (smaller companies can maybe cope with 1 or 2 trainees at a time, even the bigger ones can only manage about 100 a year)

With rov training schools turning so many people out who all look for a job as well as the mass of already technically trained and experienced personnel leaving the armed forces every month, there are too many people applying for not enough positions.

Its a shame so many people come on here thinking they can just walk into an ROV job these days.

[Scott Beveridge]

Yes.

Just because there is a shortage of people, doesnt mean the industry can suddenly take on hundreds of new people overnight. It takes time, it takes money and training by the company (smaller companies can maybe cope with 1 or 2 trainees at a time, even the bigger ones can only manage about 100 a year)

With rov training schools turning so many people out who all look for a job as well as the mass of already technically trained and experienced personnel leaving the armed forces every month, there are too many people applying for not enough positions.

Its a shame so many people come on here thinking they can just walk into an ROV job these days.

Ray,

I think you forgot an important point… It costs the companies lots of $$$ to take on trainees due to breakdowns, downtime, and general misuse of the equipment. But there will be trainees put out with the supervisors with a "good" attitude and heaps of patience…

[suby]

Its not about getting a job Ray, that I already have, with a reputable company. I think the problem was that the company was a bit overenthusiastic and took on board, and trained up a few too many trainees.

[flyingduck]

Im seeing this too and not just with trainees, especially regarding norwegian contracts where the company is obligated to pay overtime. Companies are hiring like mad to cut the agency staff and the overtime and then have too many people for the quieter months.

I dont think this will be a problem over the summer period. A bummer really when we have to put up with such a shite winter.

[Mike Kidd]

I believe the companies have recruited heavy so that when the expected contracts come on line they will have the staff in place, It takes a long time from the licences being bought still the drill rig is in position to the construction vessel steaming over the horizon, so be patient, volunteer to go to the not so nice places and get your hours in 😀

[K2]

suby

Who do you work for? If you’re top heavy with trainees it sounds like an experienced guys nightmare 😆

If you already have a job with a ‘reputable company’ then that’s the hard bit done, you just need to build up experience and this will take time. If your company has you sat at home give them a call, talk to someone and let them know your thoughts. See if they can send you on any courses or get you some training that can be done whilst you are waiting……motivation is the key….

Don’t forget to post in the forums to give other people in your position encouragement and/or to let them know any pitfalls/ problems you come across.

Good Luck

😉

[Cabledog]

Scotty,

You have worded that reply as if the only reason systems go down is because of "Trainees" we all know that is not not the case. There are quite a few so called experienced guys who are a lot worse than that 🙄 🙄 🙄

Suby, the work will come mate, as K2 said, get on the phone to the office and let them know you want to work.

Later
Dog

[Ray Shields]

Sorry, I misread the first comment as Suby trying to get a job as a trainee (I see it so often its almost an automatic response now!!)

But part of my reply still stands – there are only so many places to send a trainee. Yes, I have seen it getting bad, with trainees getting sent out in place of a standard PT. Some jobs/teams can absorb it, but if you have a 3 man team and 2 of them have a couple of months experience then yiu get the situation Scotty mentions.

Trainees used to get sent out as an extra on the team, better for everyone, the system doesnt suffer and theres less pressure on both the team/trainee and more chances to learn. When the subs bust, showing the trainee whats wrong and how to fix it unfortunately goes down on the priorities.

You’ve done the hard bit, you have your foot in teh door. As said, keep putting yourself forward, volunteer for any job, make sure you are always available, if theres any chance of getting work in the base workshop do that too. Working in base gets you "known" to the people who decide who’s going offshore.

Of course sometimes that works for or against you depending if you’re good at your job or a lazy bugger 🙂

[suby]

Cheers guys, yea I know patience is the key, now if I could just get patience to pay the rates and taxes……..!
I am sure things will pick up. I have let the company(Acergy) know that I am available for work and for training. I don’t think there are many places worse than where I am in WA. 😯
Been home now for a few months, on the plus side at least the DIY on the house is getting done!

😀

[Andy Shiers]

I disagree with you there , cabledog
He is not saying Trainees are the major reason why the systems breakdown but it can be one of the reasons and It does not help if the system has too many trainees because the experienced bloke is having to take time to look over the shoulder . This has been happening on a regular basis for the last couple of years and it is steadily getting worse due to the industry boom 😯
I don’t think there is any other industry that has such an importance
( Whole barge waiting on the ROV for ‘X’amount of dollars because , ‘By mistake’ someone damaged the vehicle somehow which meant the ROV had to be recovered ) How often have you heard or been on contracts like this ?
The orifice should think of the experienced/Trainee ratio a bit better.
Obviously the more experienced the team is helps less downtime on the whole contract which equals a happy team ,higher moral all round on the job and a joy to come back too 😀

[Cabledog]

Granted LB,

It is the way it was worded is all. The job before last was a bit like that, a lot of trainees, 3 of whom had no idea what a multi metre was 💡 💡 but once things got sorted it was like you say, a pleasure to go back to 😯 😯 for the first day or two anyway 🙄

I also think that a lot of these problems goes back to another thread on here where these guys need to be filtered out shore side before they get put into a team off shore. Think how many dollars that would save ❗ ❗ ❗

Keep smiling
Dog

[Scott Beveridge]

Lost and cabledog,

One trainee per shift is enough thank you.

[K2]

Yea…..and that’s in addition to a full team….since a ‘full team’ doesn’t necessarily mean an experienced one these days…. 😆

😉

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