Norway-based exploration vessel owner and operator Hurtigruten has contracted OSM Maritime to provide recruitment and crew management services for its new fleet of purpose-built, hybrid-powered expedition ships.
OSM, which has supported Hurtigruten on several of its daily operating ships for many years, will now be responsible for sourcing crew members for the new Explorer expedition ships, starting with Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen in 2019.
“Hurtigruten is one of the best-known brands for expedition cruises and now because of its fantastic newbuilds and strong commitment to environmental protection, we’re proud to be one of its service providers,” said Peter Burkal, managing director for Crew Management at OSM Maritime Group. “OSM has been working with passenger shipping operators for a number of years and have proven experience in recruiting, training and managing skilled and competent crew members. Like Hurtigruten, we’re focused on conducting our operations in a sustainable way and making our seafarers aware of the importance of working safely, operating in an environmentally friendly way and complying with all applicable laws and standards.”
OSM has already started the recruitment process for qualified hotel managers, food and beverage managers and executive chefs for the Hurtigruten vessels. More information about the available positions can be found on OSM Maritime’s careers page.
“Our motto is: “It’s all about people“ and we want to give our seafarers the opportunity for career development by empowering them with the skills they need through our various training and competence building programmes,” said Burkal.
OSM formalised its focus on sustainability by joining the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) Initiative in February 2017 and submitted its very first sustainability report earlier this year.
“Our commitment to the UNGC is reflected in the hiring process by ensuring that this is done in a sustainable and socially responsible way,” said Burkal. “These factors help to explain why OSM Maritime has one of the highest retention rates in the industry.”
Hurtigruten is one of multiple passenger shipping operators that has enlisted the support of OSM when it comes to recruiting staff.
“We’re proud to assist and provide qualified crew to companies operating cruise ships and passenger ferries,” said Burkal. “Our global network and presence help us attract the highly qualified candidates that our customers need for their operations.”
| Caption | OSM to recruit hotel managers, food and beverage managers and executive chefs for the newbuilds (Image: Hurtigruten) |