By Wasana Nadeeshani Sellahewa
(Commonwealth) _ Working in the shipping business can be a grueling, hard, and psychologically taxing trip, which is why it is critical that shipping firms understand their sailors’ talents and backgrounds in order to properly match them with jobs. Frankie Youd discovers how the marine tech startup Seafair intends to help with employment via its digital platform. Seafarers face several problems, including restless nights, lengthy working hours, and uncertainty about how long they will remain onboard vessels. During the Covid-19 epidemic, numerous organizations offered assistance to sailors in the form of mental health training, industrial initiatives, and guidance and chances related to their skill set.
Seafair, a New York-based maritime technology business, has created a platform to assist seafarers in the sector in accurately matching with occupations and activities, ensuring their workloads are indicative of their talents. The website pairs seafarers with shipping businesses using an algorithm that stores data on the seafarer’s history, abilities, and performance onboard a vessel.
Seafair’s complimentary crew software technology was developed when the company’s founder, Agapitos Diakogiannis, relocated to the United States to join the New York-based venture financing firm FJ Lab. While working there, Diakogiannis noticed a new wave of digital labor marketplace technologies in the oil and gas business that allowed contractors to be thoroughly selected and verified before being assigned duties and job positions. Given his expertise in shipping, Diakogiannis began investigating what this technology may offer the maritime sector.
Data about seafarers’ histories, skill sets, and vessel performance is collected using software created within the Seafair platform. This information is then sent into the software’s algorithm, which allows shipping businesses to match employees to the most suitable position based on their skill set.
To begin, sailors must create a profile on the Seafair site, where they may submit certifications and maritime service paperwork. The system then performs background checks on the uploaded papers to confirm that the information is correct and authenticated. Once validated, the seafarer’s information will be made public on the site, allowing shipping firms to access the profile.
The software’s algorithm connects sailors to the most appropriate position announced by shipping firms based on vessel specs as well as individual shipping companies’ specialized criteria. Additionally, the technology allows shipping businesses to access seafarer data at all phases of the employment process. Once a seafarer is engaged, the shipping firm may continue to utilize the platform for digital contracts, work schedules, payments, training sessions, and assessments while the seafarer is onboard. The technology also enables for the restructuring of a seafarer’s training procedure, enabling for higher levels within the crew to be developed and trained for faster.
With the shipping sector trying to keep up with seafarer management owing to the Covid-19 outbreak, hundreds of seafarers got stuck on board boats, and many were entrusted with unexpected jobs and felt overwhelmed by the strain. Could digital platforms be the future of the industry?
Technology, such as the platform established by Seafair, enables the development of continuous communication amongst shipping firms’ sailors, which is critical for the entire operation of the vessel. Data concerning seafarers’ histories, skill sets, and performance aboard vessels is collected using software created within the Seafair platform. This information is then entered into the software’s algorithm, which allows shipping businesses to match employees to the most appropriate vacancy based on their skill set.
Another essential feature of the technology is a reminder function that notifies when a seafarer’s certificate is about to expire or when a rest break is due, which is especially important during the Covid-19 outbreak. With the technology now being used by top maritime enterprises, it is hoped that more would join with Seafair to optimize their crew management operations and skillset-centric hiring.
