Popular cruise line, MSC Cruises, is well on track to hire 2 000 South Africans as crew this year. This is as per an announcement made this week by Ross Volk, Managing Director of MSC Cruises South Africa.
Picture: Getaway Gallery .
According to IOL, Volk explained that MSC South Africa has specific metrics in place, such as hiring 70% of people from previously-disadvantaged communities.
In doing so, these employees can earn in dollars and then spend that money within South Africa.
‘We want to get to 2 000 South Africans on board ships this year; 1 000 next year; and by 2027 to 2028 around 5 000 South Africans on board our vessels,’ said Volk.
Furthermore, he added that South Africans as crew members were ‘quite highly sought-after in the US’. This is as a result of them being hard working and fluent in English.
MSC Cruises South Africa recruits new crew from its Shosholoza Ocean Academy Recruitment & Training.
With the current high employment rate in the country, Volk suggested tourism as the gateway to resolving South Africa’s unemployment crisis.
‘I believe firmly that tourism has the absolute opportunity to break the unemployment crisis that faces South Africa because you don’t need a degree to interact with people; you don’t need a degree to be a South African. South Africa has such a rich culture diversity, that it’s really important for us to embrace it,’ he said.
MSC Cruises is also promoting South African artists in the creative economy with employment opportunities. Additionally, it aims to bring young, up-and-coming artists on board to provide entertainment.
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