C.F. Sharp Crew Management, Inc.

Sources seafarers based on C.F. Sharp and Principal requirements through its Recruitment Center.

Maintains the Principals' Pool of seafarers.

In charge of seafarer deployment as per Principal requirement.

Supervises the training needs of the seafarers as required by the Principal and relevant regulations.

Discharges, retains or promotes seafarers depending on the Principal's appraisal.

Recruitment Center:

Conducts rigid screening of new applicants based on C. F. Sharp and Principal requirements and ensures that only the highest quality of seafarers are hired and made available to the C.F. Sharp Pool.

Sources seafarers

Does seafarer interview

Verifies authenticity of submitted documents by the seafarers

Does character and reference checking

Obtains photocopies of the following documents from the applicants when applying:

    A. Seafarers Identification and Record book or Seaman’s Registration Card
    B. Philippine Passport
    C. MTC issued COC's for Officers and Ratings
    D. PRC Issued COC and Endorsement of Training Certificates for Officers
    E. TESDA Issued COC for Deck and Engine Watchkeeping Ratings
    F. Service Records from previous employers
    G. Philippine License or Foreign License (if any)
    H. Philippine Regulation Commission (PRC) I.D.
    I. Social Security System (SSS) I.D.
    J. Tax Identification Number (TIN) I.D.

Oral examination is conducted to test seafarers’ command of the English language, communication skills and ability to understand key instructions. It also tests knowledge of practical applications and theoretical concepts.

Evaluates the seafarer’s technical proficiency and mastery of theoretical concepts through written examination.

Types of test/questionnaires given to seafarers where applicable are:

    A. test to verify Basic Safety Training concepts,
    B. test for passenger vessel officers and crew,
    C. test for English proficiency.

Application documents of seafarers applying for positions other than those indicated above are immediately discarded when the seafarer fails to meet the established criteria. However for those seafarers who passed the above criteria, the Recruitment Center maintains the seafarer files:

    A. 3 months - management/operational level officers, petty officers, cooks, pastry chefs / bakers /         buffetmen
    B. 3 months - bartenders, busboys, wine stewards, cabin stewards.
    C. Permanent - seafarers recommended by Principal, master or ex-crew regardless of position

The Recruitment Manager ensures that all seafarers complete the screening and selection process before they are recommended to the Principal. Acceptance of new applicants are based on the Hiring Standards set by C.F. Sharp. Candidates over the maximum age limit may be hired if the qualifications or skills required are not available in the present workforce and in a critical shortage in the local market or for other overriding considerations.

Manpower Pooling:

For Existing Principals:

-A pool of seafarers is established for each Principal’s crew requirements.
-Seafarers become part of the “Principal’s Dedicated Pool” at the end of their initial contract with the Principal.

The “On Board List” (OBL) shows the names of seafarers onboard and the days remaining until the completion of their contracts. It likewise indicates those seafarers scheduled for crew change. In the absence of a Crew Requirement List from the Principal/Master, the OBL is used as the basis for the next crew requirement. In cases of conflict between the Principal/Master’s request for crew relief and OBL, the Crewing Manager clarifies with Principal/Master through fax/E-mail. In cases where the situation allows and where it is required by the Principal, a crew rotation plan is prepared well in advance for facilitation of handling vessel assignments. When the contract of the seafarer is extended, the Crew Manager is immediately informed through fax or E-mail. The Crewing Manager then updates the crew rotation plan for changes in the crew relief schedule.

The Crewing Manager monitors the replacement of crew onboard by using the Daily Requirements. The report is regularly generated by the Management Information System Department.

Weekly Available Crew List (WACL) which is computer-generated, shows the number of qualified and available seafarers for each Principal. Seafarers available for vessel assignments are those who have “vacation-rehire” stated as their termination reason and who have 15 days remaining in their vacation leave. Seafarers signed-off for illness/injury and who are then declared fit for duty are included in the WACL.

Priority for choosing available seafarers for assignment is as follows:

      1st priority: ex-company crew in the Principal’s dedicated pool
      2nd priority: ex-company crew in the C.F. Sharp’s pool
      3rd priority: new applicants recommended by Principal/Master
      4th priority: approved applicants recommended by Sharp’s Recruitment Center

In choosing from the ex-company crew in the Principal’s dedicated pool, the “first-in-first-out” method is used. Priority is given to those who signed off earlier so that those with less vacation days left, as indicated in the Weekly Available Crew List, have priority for vessels assignments. However, for Principals who provide stand-by wages, priority is given to those who are entitled to such wages.

A Seafarer's Appraisal Report (SAR) is made available to provide information on the seafarer’s performance onboard his previous vessel. This report provides an assessment of the seafarer’s performance onboard a vessel, therefore rates his ability, conduct, sobriety, leadership/supervision (for officers), and recommendation for promotion, re-hire or termination. The transfer of a seafarer from one principal pool to another has to be approved by the Principal from whose pool the seafarer is to be transferred and by the Vice President - Crewing Operations and documented through the Crew Transfer Form. In cases where the manning agreement with a certain Principal is terminated, the covered seafarers are transferred in to the C.F. Sharp pool. Where there are no available seafarers in the Principal’s dedicated pool or C.F. Sharp pool who meet the Principal’s requirements and the Principal/Master has not recommended any seafarer for the position, C. F. Sharp advertises for the crew requirements. Advertisements are placed in major newspapers with wide circulation to ensure maximum coverage.

For New Principals:

Crew requirements for new Principals are primarily sourced from C.F. Sharp’s Pool, which is the pool of seafarers who do not belong to a specific Principal’s dedicated pool.

All seafarers belonging to a Principal that change from its previous manning agent to C.F. Sharp are immediately transferred to the Principal’s newly created “dedicated pool”.

Each Principal has a pool of seafarers solely for its requirements.

In general, C.F. Sharp does not allow transfer of seafarers from one Principal’s dedicated pool to another. A transfer is only allowed if the Principal has no available opening for the seafarer or as approved by the Vice President - Operations.

The C.F. Sharp Pool are classified into the following:

A. Active - those who are signed off for a period of less than six months.
B. Inactive - those who have signed off for six months or more.

Seafarers assigned to a new Principal are officially transferred from a C.F. Sharp Pool to a Principal’s Dedicated Pool upon signing off from the vessel at the end of his/her first contract. If the seafarer transfers to another manning agent, the seafarer may be re-hired only upon the approval of the Vice President - Operations and if he fulfills the usual C.F. Sharp requirement.