(Updated April 2010)
About the industry
The maritime sector can be divided into two main categories: coastal and international. Coastal shipping includes car ferries, fishing boats, fast passenger crafts, coastal express steamers, tugs, cargo ships, tankers, reefers, cable ships, rescue boats and the oil & gas related fleet.
The international category includes the Norwegian foreign-going fleet, both those flying the Norwegian flag (NIS) and those registered under another country’s flag. More than 90 per cent of the Norwegian merchant fleet never calls at a Norwegian port, but cross-trades between other countries.
Many Norwegian shipping companies muster personnel from Eastern Europe (Poland, Latvia), the Nordic countries and from countries outside the EU/EEA (China and the Philippines) for work; predominantly on foreign-going vessels.
What is the labour demand in the shipping sector?
In 2010, due to a sharp reduction in long-term contracts owing to the international climate of financial recession, a large number of vessels are laid up. Many operate in the spot market working short-term contracts.
The average age for Norwegians working in the maritime sector is relatively high, and there are occasional job opportunities mainly for qualified officers. Common requirements for all jobs advertised are relevant formal qualifications (diplomas, education etc.) and/or long-term experience. Job opportunities that arise are normally for qualified and/or certified personnel in the following roles:
How can you find maritime jobs?
If you are looking for a job in Norway, contact your nearest EURES adviser for information about vacancies. They can also give you information about working conditions, accommodation, salaries and more.
The Norwegian national employment service NAV has a database of all published vacancies: www.nav.no. Go to “Finne ledige jobber” to find the job vacancies. Select the category “Transport, Logistikk, Kommunikasjon og IT” and then the subcategory “Sjøfart” for jobs in the maritime sector.
General information about working and living in Norway is also available here. For access to the abovementioned vacancies via telephone, call the NAV Service Centre EURES : +47 800 33 166 (from 8.00 am to 15.30 pm).
Many shipping companies use their own networks and collaborate with other companies to find personnel. You can look up Norwegian shipping companies in the Yellow Pages (www.gulesider.no) under the category: "Ship-owning companies", and contact them directly. Many companies have their own homepages and some publish their vacancies directly on their web sites. Sending an e-mail or letter or making a phone call directly to the employers’ personnel department could be helpful.
You will need to compose a CV (preferably in English), giving your personal details and a description of your key skills, practical experience, training and a little about your general interests and hobbies.
There are 16 NAV Maritime Control offices along the coast of Norway that are responsible for mustering, recruiting and issuing discharge books for seamen in both domestic and international trade. These offices also verify that labour contracts adhere to Norwegian law, and that crew members have valid health certificates, passports for international service and the necessary security clearances and training for work at sea. You will get more information from these NAV offices (in Norwegian).
Language, education and training requirements
In general, the shipping industry seeks skilled personnel, from workers with current professional certificates to college educated technicians and engineers. The employers themselves must meet standards for safety training and quality control in compliance with FTCW conventions, so you will need documentation of your skills and training when applying for maritime jobs.
Command of a Scandinavian language (Norwegian, Swedish, Danish) is not only desirable, but often a requirement. For work on Norwegian ferries and fast boats it is an absolute requirement for reasons of safety. In the international maritime sector, a good command of English is essential.
This overview is not exhaustive, and other, more specific requirements (or limitations) may arise. Please consult the Norwegian Maritime Directorate (details below) web site for more on norms and regulatory frameworks.
Salary and taxes
Salaries in shipping vary widely. Depending on roster, shipowner’s margins, seniority, routing etc. a qualified able seaman may earn NOK 235,000-335,000/€ 28,000-42,000 per year gross. Taxes and trade-specific deductions vary correspondingly. The typical tax deduction in Norway, irrespective of job type and before deductions are made, is 36 per cent, including the mandatory national insurance contribution of 7,8 per cent.
Important things to consider
In Norway, trade unions play an important role in the workplace and most Norwegian workers across the job sectors are organised. You may wish to contact a trade union – some of the largest unions for maritime workers are listed below under “Related Information”.
