From a NOAA full bird Captain:
Dated: June 24th, 2014
As many of you know, there is a nationwide shortage of marine engineers and other wage mariners that has affected our ability to fill vacancies within the fleet, especially licensed engineering positions. In an attempt to compete with the private sector we will soon be placing additional recruitment notices in maritime publications and newspapers, in addition, we have reinstituted recruitment and relocation incentives for new hires.
Along with the other proposals we have currently under consideration to attract wage mariners to NOAA I ask that you, as an individual employee and an ambassador for NOAA, assist by notifying other potentially qualified candidates of our need for wage mariners.
Since Wage Marine employees are Excepted Service employees, NOAA is not required to use OPM’s competitive hiring examination process and, as a result, can accept resumes directly from an individual. This streamlined process will provide Marine Operations much quicker access to applicants and reduce the time in the application and selection process.
To assist in making this streamlined process a reality, Marine Operations has established an e-mail address where applicants can submit their resume for screening or to which you can forward resumes. The e-mail address is wmapplicants@noaa.gov.
If you have questions or need additional information to provide to potential applicants, please contact Tom Martin at 757 441-3865 or at thomas.d.martin@noaa.gov.
Yeah, we knew they were doing this. There was an email going around. Before that it was that joke of a QMED to 3A/E program where they want 2 years obligated service in exchange for a couple of weeks of test prep. No thanks. I can pay for my own test prep. I don’t know of anyone who signed up.
The problem isn’t recruiting, folks- it’s retention. We are bouncing people around from ship to ship in order to get underway and it’s a joke. There was even talk of transferring a licensed engineer via small boat from one ship to another until that got quashed…it’s that ridiculous. Treat the people you have right and they’ll stay. That’s the elephant in the room. Pay, quality of life (time off etc), sailing days, safety, training all need to be addressed and improved or you can recruit your butt off and still be shorthanded six months on. It’s a shame.
[QUOTE=catherder;142328]Yeah, we knew they were doing this. There was an email going around. Before that it was that joke of a QMED to 3A/E program where they want 2 years obligated service in exchange for a couple of weeks of test prep. No thanks. I can pay for my own test prep. I don’t know of anyone who signed up.
The problem isn’t recruiting, folks- it’s retention. We are bouncing people around from ship to ship in order to get underway and it’s a joke. There was even talk of transferring a licensed engineer via small boat from one ship to another until that got quashed…it’s that ridiculous. Treat the people you have right and they’ll stay. That’s the elephant in the room. Pay, quality of life (time off etc), sailing days, safety, training all need to be addressed and improved or you can recruit your butt off and still be shorthanded six months on. It’s a shame.
Back during the Clinton administration VP Gore proposed turning NOAA vessel ops over to civilian mariners. At that time they had 5 Admirals and about 700 officers as I recall [compare this ratio to the US Navy or US Coast Guard]. It was and remains a boondoggle for NOAA Corps. NOAA Corps had too much political pull so they didn’t turn it over to civilians mariners but did cut the Corps down to 500 officers and two Admirals. If NOAA was really serious about recruiting people they could offer the same job security and retirement package that they have. They could also offer the same deal for sea duty, 2 years at sea, a few years on land, rinse, repeat and retire in 20 with full VA benefits. Instead they have a reputation for being a bunch of wannabe military types that hate being at sea and despise/disrespect the engineers and deck people that keep things working for their gilded asses. NOAA Corps is a joke but they laugh all the way to the bank and retirement.
Back in April Catherder we did do a small boat transfer off of Cali. Two licensed engineers got off and eight hours later two new licensed guys show up. They did this via the Sheriffs or city 's water patrol boat.
It’s a long back story that would leave people face palming themselves and asking why there isn’t a investigation in to mismanagement of funds and people.
Kinda like the pax transfer of sci’s to the Shimada out of Neah Bay couple years back. Not that I didn’t mind doing it, but I always wondered why they just didn’t use the RHIB. Wasn’t bad weather or anything.
Because if we used the RHIB the scientist would expect to use it all of the time for personnel transfers. The Shimada made it tough for them to do personnel transfer so they wouldn’t request to do them. The weirdest part is they bought a $250k badass eco-workboat and it’s been sitting on a trailer, in a parking lot, in the Oregon coast weather unused for ~2 years. SMFH
Maybe a good place to stick all the KP’ers currently dodging their US flag commitments with and without waivers working on foreign drillships in the oil patch…
Hell I’d LOVE to come back to NOAA. Everyone I met was very dedicated and passionate about their job. The work we did and the science that was being done I felt was a positive thing. I cant say that about any of my jobs since NOAA. All that paperwork BS is nothing compared to the OSV world. Problem I have with NOAA is there isnt a schedule, and the licensed engineer pay is less then the wipers here in the Gulf. I would gladly take a (small) pay cut to go back to NOAA, but the lack of a schedule is a killer for me.
[QUOTE=liftedlimo;142504]Hell I’d LOVE to come back to NOAA. Everyone I met was very dedicated and passionate about their job. The work we did and the science that was being done I felt was a positive thing. I cant say that about any of my jobs since NOAA. All that paperwork BS is nothing compared to the OSV world. Problem I have with NOAA is there isnt a schedule, and the licensed engineer pay is less then the wipers here in the Gulf. I would gladly take a (small) pay cut to go back to NOAA, but the lack of a schedule is a killer for me.[/QUOTE]
There’s a lot of great people here. Unfortunately, as you mention, it doesn’t pay the bills. There is once again talk of a rotation but it’s only talk, I don’t expect much to come of it. We’ll see.
If you do decide to go back, there are a few vacancies on the Brown and that ship has a heavy schedule for next season…some 340 plus days from what I hear. You’d make money…but you’d be gone a long damn time.
[QUOTE=catherder;142511]There’s a lot of great people here. Unfortunately, as you mention, it doesn’t pay the bills. There is once again talk of a rotation but it’s only talk, I don’t expect much to come of it. We’ll see.
If you do decide to go back, there are a few vacancies on the Brown and that ship has a heavy schedule for next season…some 340 plus days from what I hear. You’d make money…but you’d be gone a long damn time.[/QUOTE]
I have a few friends still on the Brown. Lots of fun inport pictures from last season. 180-220 days a year is about all I work anymore and that 340 days is killer! The family would never talk to me again Haha. Hope you find your crew.
[QUOTE=catherder;142511]There’s a lot of great people here. Unfortunately, as you mention, it doesn’t pay the bills. There is once again talk of a rotation but it’s only talk, I don’t expect much to come of it. We’ll see.
If you do decide to go back, there are a few vacancies on the Brown and that ship has a heavy schedule for next season…some 340 plus days from what I hear. You’d make money…but you’d be gone a long damn time.[/QUOTE]
The fleet allocation plan (see link) for 2015 shows the Brown at 239 for days at sea and 345 operating days (includes dockside). Looks like 5 boats around 180 days, which is going to be the least busiest schedules. Do we really need to keep surveying the Shumagins? Besides tugs and fish boats, who goes there? Waste of time if you ask me. NOAA’s got their priorities all bass-ackwards. Take some of those Corps twits off the hydro ships and some of those other worthless land billets and bring back the Navigation Response Teams.
[QUOTE=tengineer1;142332]Instead they have a reputation for being a bunch of wannabe military types that hate being at sea and despise/disrespect the engineers and deck people that keep things working for their gilded asses. NOAA Corps is a joke but they laugh all the way to the bank and retirement.[/QUOTE]
In the US submarine force of the 90’s, submarine officers had to qualify in engineering as one of the checkboxes for command. I don’t know how extensive it was, but I remember seeing the PNEO students at Ford Island, when I was an electronics instructor there. Perhaps the NOAA Corps needs some more engineering time as part of their progression as deck officers. Do NOAA Corps officers qualify with the NOAA engineers? Just curious.
[QUOTE=rbc;143605]In the US submarine force of the 90’s, submarine officers had to qualify in engineering as one of the checkboxes for command. I don’t know how extensive it was, but I remember seeing the PNEO students at Ford Island, when I was an electronics instructor there. Perhaps the NOAA Corps needs some more engineering time as part of their progression as deck officers. Do NOAA Corps officers qualify with the NOAA engineers? Just curious.[/QUOTE]
They do not generally spend time in the engine room, other than occasionally to observe things like startup and shutdown. If they have the OOD in port duty they will make a round through the engine spaces, but that’s more of a fire/flooding check. They do know (or are supposed to know) how to activate the fire/bilge pump, etc.
And do we want them there? No, for various reasons, not the least of which is safety.
[QUOTE=catherder;143636]And do we want them there? No, for various reasons, not the least of which is safety.[/QUOTE]
I can understand that. I think the US Sub bias toward engineering was largely a product of Rickover’s influence. Many other nations sub forces have separate tracks for engineers and deck officers.
