The vessel's deputy captain, the first female DPO in Taiwan, Merrick Huang
The key is that offshore wind power requires a large number of professionals from different fields for construction, and relying solely on foreign personnel may not meet the manpower demand. In order to expand the resources of local talent, various industries related to offshore wind power have invested in talent cultivation.
Benefited from this opportunity, Ｍerrick Huang, from Kaohsiung, who was at the age of 25
Despite numerous opportunities in the shipping industry after graduating from the Kaohsiung Marine Technology University (now the National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology), where she performed well and ranked first in the Navigation Technology Department, she decided to embark on a job in offshore wind power rather than follow the advice of others to work on commercial ships, whether they be for offshore or nearshore operations. She started out as an operator of dynamic positioning systems (DP systems) on a workboat.
Her decision to take a different path was inspired by her mentor, Professor Chan-Chuan Wen from Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology. Huang noted that workboats are more challenging compared to commercial ships such as container ships, oil tankers, and bulk carriers. Offshore wind power is a brand-new industry for Taiwan, and the vast majority of its technology must be learned from scratch.
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Recommended by Professor Wen, she became the deputy captain responsible for operating the DP system on the Australis vessel. "The DP system can be used to navigate the vessel to a designated point, carry out operations such as remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) operations, cable laying, cone penetration testing (CPT) operations, and drilling operations, etc. With the Australis vessel, for example, it is used to navigate the vessel to the drilling point and use the DP system to position the vessel at a designated location for drilling operations." She can't stop talking about her familiar expertise.
She explained that because work boats are on the sea surface, they are subject to the wind and ocean currents. In order to ensure that offshore engineering can proceed smoothly, the primary task of a work boat is to anchor it in place. "The direction of the bow of the ship is called the 'heading', and the correct direction can reduce the output," she said. Not only does it require precise adjustment of the ship's direction, but also after positioning, the system needs to run for 30 to 40 minutes to stabilize the vessel.
This is not an easy job. Merrick Huang explained that once the work boat approaches within 500 meters of the predetermined location, it is necessary to start positioning through the DP system, "sometimes it takes more than an hour." In the past, no Taiwanese professionals were familiar with this system, so even the excellent Huang had to go abroad for training to obtain professional qualifications. "We are currently going to the Philippines for training, and I am now in the final stage." Merrick Huang explained that training is generally divided into four stages, which are the first training, followed by 60 days of sea internship, then the second training, and finally another 60 days of internship.
Unafraid of long training periods, professional development and skills improved
The lengthy training process can be extended due to unfavorable sea conditions preventing ship deployment, "I've already trained for over 180 days." Apart from professional training, as foreign professionals communicate in English, even reports need to be written in English, which has helped Merrick Huang improve her English skills. "Now, when I communicate with foreign personnel on the ship, I can help out too."
The motivation to persist through the hardship is seeing the growing demand for professionalism. Huang points out that as the company faces mostly foreign clients, the importance they place on professional qualifications has gradually increased the company's competitive advantage in the industry. Additionally, Huang also noticed that foreign clients place a strong emphasis on "safety," "they require every ship to have a safety SOP." The safety requirements, from personal protective equipment like hard hats and work boots to facility safety inspections for the entire ship and measures for various situations, far exceed the safety standards Huang has encountered in the past. Therefore, Huang pointed out that the company has an international safety management system to meet the high safety standards of foreign clients. While improving safety, she also jokingly said that the company continuously improves employee welfare. "Although our ship is small, we have all the necessary facilities, and we have a Taiwanese chef and a foreign chef, who provide us with many food choices."
Despite the current gap in overall compensation between Taiwanese talents and international talents, "if we compare our salary and benefits with those of nearshore vessels at this stage, we have a vacation system and additional allowances, which allow us to stay in our hometown and have the opportunity to rotate vacations at home," Merrick Huang said. She expressed confidence that as Taiwan's performance improves, there will be more opportunities for employment and industry development, and "our ship will also have the opportunity to work abroad in the future." Merrick Huang hasn't forgotten her dream of traveling around the world when she studied marine engineering technology, and she believes that not only are there better opportunities here, but she also won't miss the chance to realize her dream.
High demand in manpower broadens collage graduates' career paths
She also noticed that with the booming offshore wind power industry in Taiwan, her alma mater has gradually changed. "For example, our school now has an offshore wind energy research institute, and there are maintenance courses for engines, as well as courses on offshore wind energy. " Merrick Huang believes that the emergence of more educational courses is not just because the measurement profession needs talent, but also because there are more places that require the investment of local talent in Taiwan.
She used pile-driving operations as an example. "Pile driving used to be done on land, and the sea is a new blue ocean." Not to mention underwater engineering personnel, which Taiwan used to pay little attention to, has become the best new stage for young students with the huge manpower demand brought about by the offshore wind turbine industry. "After graduation, younger students in the future will not simply run commercial ships," Merrick Huang is full of confidence in the opportunities that this vast sea holds.