Update on COMPETING in “Scheepvaartkrant”
There’s a nice update in this weeks’ edition of Dutch weekly “Scheepvaartkrant”. Our project manager Jan Smallegange was interviewed for this article.
There’s a nice update in this weeks’ edition of Dutch weekly “Scheepvaartkrant”. Our project manager Jan Smallegange was interviewed for this article.
In his work, the Belgium independent inland shipping entrepreneur Patrick Hermans is daily confronted with the difference between required competences and training offered. Because of his role in the Belgium inland shipping sector, he is familiar with the COMPETING project, although he is not directly involved in training himself.
But, Patrick knows, ‘’courses are fundamentally different from each other. The sector also believe that these training courses do not sufficiently match the required competences.’’ Patrick Hermans As a shipowner, it is also difficult for Hermans to find well-trained employees. ‘’There is a shortage of Belgian and even Dutch people with the right skills,’’ he explains. ‘’I recently switched to hiring employees with a different nationality. I’m very satisfied with that so far. However, that does not mean that as an entrepreneur I will not help the training courses in my own region, for example by offering internships and workplaces. On the contrary.’’
Hermans thinks it’s a good thing that employers and employees’ organizations, industry associations and educational institutions are working on making training courses for European inland shipping unambiguously and futureproof. ‘’The COMPETING project is a good development,’’ he says. ‘’And it would be even better if an nambiguously social status was also introduced for all employees in inland shipping. Such a status could end unfair competition and the price war in the industry.’’
This afternoon we’ve given an update of our project COMPETING for the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Europe. Over 30 people, from EU countries and non-EU countries like Belarus and Russia, attended the online presentation by our project coordinator Jan Smallegange.
An outline and explanation of the COMPETING project will be part of an e-learning course for inland navigation captains from the Ukraine. Yesterday the recording took place. We are proud to be a part of this!
The third COMPETING newsletter is here! With the latest developments of the project that aims to reach a future-oriented EU-wide education system for inland navigation. We kindly ask your attention for the interview with special guest Jörg Rusche from CESNI.
On 13 May the COMPETING consortium did get together again in a digital meeting. Still working strong on the European harmonisation of inland navigation education.
As from now on COMPETING will share updates on LinkedIn about the progress and deliverables of this three-year project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
On 17 March the COMPETING consortium did get together via Skype. Luckily nowadays there are plenty of opportunities to meet online! Initially the consortium would get together in Slovakia this week but decided not to due to the corona virus. Still working strong on the European harmonisation of inland navigation education.
In April we will spread the first COMETING newsletter. In this newsletter we will keep you updated about all the activities related to the project.
Developing and enforcing a new European directive is a long-term process in itself, implementing and putting it into practice is a comprehensive follow-up activity.