GLOBAL Ship management leader V.Group has been awarded an International Manning License allowing it to operate a fully owned crewing agency in China.

The license, awarded to very few foreign entities after a strict selection and assessment process, means that V.Group can now directly source and manage crew in China, ensuring that all seafarers are fully trained and aligned to V.Group values. It will enable V.Group to provide qualified Chinese seafarers for vessels managed by V.Group in China, and across the world.

Bjoern Sprotte, CEO, Ship Management at V.Group, said:

“China plays a key role in the global maritime industry and we have ambitious growth plans for the region. Being awarded this License is a major milestone, demonstrating our long-term commitment to China. It is testament to the strength of our V. Group China team and the professional processes and procedures that we have in place which set a new standard in the industry.

“This License will help us streamline our services, not only enabling us to provide a one stop offering to our China based customers, but also attracting more Chinese seafarers. It also supports our wider crewing strategy as we can place Chinese crew on our non-China managed vessels, making China a fully integrated key crewing centre.”

The Group was awarded the Qualification Certificate for Seafarer Recruitment and Placement Service by the head of the Maritime Safety Administration, Mr. Lin Lihua in a ceremony in December.

Benjamin Shen, Managing Director, V.Group China said:

“We are committed to growing our business in China and gaining this license will allow us to focus on expanding our pool of Chinese seafarers to meet increasing demand. Having a fully owned manning agency is a significant step forward in helping our team secure highly competent and loyal Chinese seafarers to address the growing demands of shipping in this region. We can now directly offer customers our fully integrated services – employing, training and deploying crew directly from our Shanghai office.”

The license was awarded by the Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) of the People’s Republic of China, a government agency which administers all matters related to maritime and shipping safety.

The Maritime Safety Administration, headquartered in Beijing, will now carry out annual audits on V.Group China, covering crew manning operations, recruitment, training, crew certificates, management and office administration.

V.Group has access to an international pool of over 44,000 seafarers across the globe, an onshore team of over 3,000 colleagues in over 30 countries and 60 offices. V.Group’s head office in China opened in 2018 and is located in the Pudong District of Shanghai.