New pilots
New pilots
To compensate for retirements of pilots there is a constant demand for new pilots. World economy and political changes are producing different demands over the years.
In the mid nieteennineties a period of relatively high demand for new pilots ended abruptly. Traffic numbers droped all of sudden and some brotherhoods had 25% more pilots than needed for the number of ships. Educating new pilots was put on hold for as long as 5 years.
From about 2001 on when traffic numbers started to increase and the number of pilots dropped due to retirements all brotherhoods began to look for new pilots. This period of high demand for new pilots came to an end with the bank crisis in 2008. Brotherhoods with a minus of 40% before the crisis came out with exactly the number of pilots needed for the traffic after the crisis.
When a brotherhood needs new pilots, it informs the supervisory board. The supervisory board is publishing the demand through NTM and on its website. Applications are to be sent to the supervisory board for verification. When reqirements are met the supervisory board forwards the application to the brotherhood. The hiring committee of the brotherhood is interviewing all applicants and selects the number in need. The supervisory board appoints the selected applicants and issues a 'permit of apprenticeship'.
New ways
Changes in the crewing policies of the maritime companies lead to a decreasing number of eligible German and even European applicants.
New ways of education have to be invented. The FCP is working on new concepts to open the access to the pilot profession through other ways.