Photo: The 8th anniversary of PT Indo Samudra Service Management (PT ISS Management) on Friday, February 28, 2024 at Renoma Resto, Denpasar.

Denpasar (Metrobali.com)-

PT Indo Samudra Service Management (PT ISS Management), a Manning Agency company or a company that places workers on cruise ships and land, celebrated its 8th anniversary on Friday, February 28, 2024 at Renoma Resto, Denpasar with the theme “Share With Love”. PT ISS Management is a Manning Agency company or a ship crew placement company that has two permits, namely the Indonesian Migrant Worker Recruitment Permit (SIP2MI) and SIUKAK (Crew Manning Agency License).

The 8th Anniversary celebration of ISS Management was also attended by company partners from both manning agencies and user representatives from abroad, including HR Director Ponant Cruise Laurane Peltier, Recruitment Manager Vships Leisure Patrick Sanville, and Director of Recruitment Ponant Cruise Thomas Linhard. The extended family of the ISS Management team and crew who have been sent to work abroad through ISS Management also attended to celebrate this happy moment.

On this occasion, ISS Management also showed its concern by sharing and handing over CSR of 1 house renovation unit in Singaraja to the Rise for Bali Foundation. DPD RI- Senator RI Komite 1 Ni Luh Djelantik also attended to congratulate ISS Management on its 8th anniversary.

Managing Director of PT ISS Management Putu Alit Budi Sastrawan said that although it was officially established eight years ago based on a permit issued by the Department of Sea Transportation, ISS Management has been operating since 2009 and has collaborated with various cruise ship companies, including Ponant Cruise. Since 2015, the company has routinely held annual crew gatherings to strengthen relations with the crew.

“Most of crew from Bali and Indonesia generally are happy working for Ponant, and Ponant Cruises is concerned for Crew Welfare so that is why they were supporting this Crew Gathering with ISS Management,” said Alit Sastrawan.

Alit Sastrawan said further that in this event, ISS Management managed to gather around 300 to 400 crew who were on leave, while around 40-50% of the other crew were still on duty on the ship. The majority of the crews present were from river cruises, considering that PT ISS handles many clients in that sector. “The celebration of ISS Management’s 8th anniversary is not only a momentum for the company’s anniversary, but also an opportunity for the crews to gather and share experiences,” said Alit Sastrawan.

Excellence in the River Cruise Sector

As a Manning Agency, ISS Management has an advantage in workforce placement in the river cruise sector. Until 2025, the company has placed more than 600 crews including some on European river cruises, both those who are still on duty and those who are on leave. By collaborating with four major clients in this sector, ISS Management is further strengthening its position as a leading workforce provider for river cruises.

Alit Sastrawan said that client trust in ISS Management in the river cruise sector is inseparable from the quality of the crew sent. The company ensures that the crew placed is in accordance with the needs of the ship owner, including in language skills. Given that many river cruises operating in Europe prioritize communication in German, ISS Management requires crew who will work in this sector to have basic German language skills.

This training makes it easier for crew to communicate with passengers and creates a more comfortable working environment, thereby increasing client satisfaction with the services provided. To ensure that these standards are met, ISS Management also holds in-house training, so that the crew sent is able to meet client expectations and provide the best service.

“If in a river cruise they are required to speak German, therefore before we send the children to work on a river cruise, we provide them with mandatory basic German speaking,” he explained.

Since its inception, ISS Management has sent 672 cruise ship crews as recorded in the placement reporting data to the Ministry of Transportation. Overall, the number of sailors from Bali working on cruise ships has reached around 24,000 people, spread across 14 official Manning Agencies operating in Bali.

In the future, ISS Management is committed to continuing to improve the quality of human resources in the cruise ship industry, both on cruise lines and river cruises. As the Head of DPW CIMA Bali (Consortium of Indonesian Manning Agencies), Alit Sastrawan hopes that Bali will become a pilot project in the management of sailor placement that is more structured and in accordance with procedures. With the current dualism of licensing, it is hoped that existing regulations can be simplified so that the process of placing workers becomes more efficient and in accordance with international standards.

Strong Synergy with Royal Bali College Campus

In developing human resources ready to enter the industrial world, ISS Management also has a close relationship with the Royal Bali College Campus, which is under the auspices of the Manggala Widya Sastra Foundation. Chairman of the Manggala Widya Sastra Foundation, Nyoman Kariyasa, explained that the Royal Bali College Campus plays a role as a forum to prepare young generation human resources to be ready to enter the world of work, both in the hotel sector and the cruise ship industry.

“The Manggala Widya Sastra Foundation formed the Royal Bali College LPK to produce a strong young generation, who will later be ready with their skills and knowledge in the hospitality industry. We at the foundation have a forum to accommodate alumni with the Royal Bali Special Job Exchange (BKK) to be facilitated to work domestically or at ISS Management with placement on cruise ships or on land,” said Kariyasa.

The synergy between ISS Management and the Royal Bali College Campus is expected to create a stronger education and training ecosystem. Through a structured training program, graduates of this campus can be more easily absorbed by the industry, especially in the cruise ship sector.

“So our children, our alumni who are ready, who are ready will be channeled directly by our official agent, namely ISS Management,” he said.

Kariysa added that Royal Bali College alumni get top priority in job placement through ISS Management. As the main partner, ISS Management and Royal Bali College work together to understand the needs of the industry and ensure that campus graduates have skills that meet the standards required by cruise ship companies.

Through this synergy, ISS Management not only acts as a placement agent, but also contributes to improving the quality of education and training for the workforce. With a training system that is tailored to industry requirements, Royal Bali College graduates have a competitive advantage in the global cruise ship labor market.

“So we at the foundation, we at the campus will improve our services and quality according to the requirements of ISS Management or cruise ships,” said Kariyasa.

It is hoped that in the future Royal Bali College can produce quality and tough human resources, according to the needs of the cruise ship industry. For this reason, the foundation strives to provide maximum education and training to prospective workers before they are channeled to ISS Management or other agents.

As part of its competency enhancement strategy, the foundation also developed the J1 Internship program, a one-year internship program that provides work experience in various countries, including the United States, Australia, Turkey, Malaysia, Greece, and Cyprus.

Maintained Reputation, ISS Management Increasingly Trusted

HR Director of Ponant Cruise, Laurane Peltier, expressed her appreciation for the collaboration with ISS Management in providing ship crews. Ponant Cruise has collaborated with ISS Management since 2009. According to her, ISS Management is a very professional company.

“We have 300 crew working for Ponant Cruise thanks to ISS. We hope that in the future we can develop more positions, create diversity, and increase the number of female workers on board,” hoped Laurane Peltier,

When asked about the quality of Balinese workers in the hospitality industry, Peltier assessed that they have good skills and work attitudes. “Before joining and working on the Ponant ship, they have received adequate training. Their level of competence has been assessed so that they can provide good service standards on board,” she said.

In the context of celebrating ISS Management’s 8th anniversary, Laurane Peltier expressed her hope that ISS Management will continue to grow and be successful in the years to come. “We wish ISS a happy birthday and hope they continue to be successful,” she said.

Recruitment Manger Vships Leisure, Patrick Sanville, revealed the important role of ISS Management in providing manpower for Ponant Cruises since 2009. As a recruitment and manning agent, V-Ships Leisure works with various cruise ship companies and assists them in crew management.

“We have offices in various countries, with main offices in Manila, India, Monaco, and Glasgow. We also have divisions that handle cargo ships, container ships, as well as a leisure division that focuses on cruise ships and small yachts,” said Patrick Sanville.

He explained that in 2009, Ponant Cruises wanted to recruit crew from Indonesia. However, because V-Ships Leisure did not have an official office in Indonesia, they collaborated with Putu Alit Budi Sastrawan as Managing Director of ISS Management to establish a recruitment agency in Bali.

“At that time we started with only two or three crews. Now, after 16 years, from 2009 to 2024, we have 370 crews on all Ponant ships,” he explained.

When asked why he chose ISS Management, Patrick Sanville emphasized that trust was the main factor. According to him, sometimes when choosing an agent, it is better if we already know the person who founded it. His party has been working with ISS Management for seven years, and has seen their dedication.

“We also regularly come to Bali to help, audit, and ensure that the values ​​of V-Ships Leisure are implemented properly. Slowly, ISS Management has grown and so far it has been a great success,” he explained.

Patrick Sanville also highlighted the great potential of Indonesian workers in the cruise ship industry which continues to grow. He considered that the future of Indonesian sailors is very bright because the cruise ship industry is growing.

“We still have many potential crews to recruit, and the reputation of Indonesian sailors is very good. Passengers enjoy the service from Indonesians, especially from Bali, who are accustomed to the best hotel standards and tourists from all over the world,” he said.

Regarding ISS’s 8th anniversary, it is hoped that ISS Management can continue to grow and improve the quality of human resources in the hotel industry and manning agency. “Ponant Cruises has grown from 4-5 ships to 13 ships since 2009, and the number of crew has also increased from a few people to 370. As Ponant grows, so will ISS,” concluded Patrick Sanville.

Synergy with BP3MI Bali Strengthens Protection of Migrant Workers

Ida Bagus Yogi Puspakanta as Legal Counselor of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Service Center (BP3MI) Bali congratulated PT Indo Samudra Service Management (PT ISS Management) on its 8th Anniversary celebration and expressed his hopes.

He hopes that the company will be increasingly successful in producing quality ship crews who are ready to compete in the international workforce, including continuing to synergize with BP3MI) Bali in strengthening protection of migrant workers from the Island of the Gods. “Hopefully in the future it will be more glorious and more successful in producing the best ship crew,” he hoped.

On the other hand, BP3MI Bali also reminded the public of the dangers of illegal agents or fake agents who often deceive prospective PMI with the lure of working abroad without official procedures. According to him, fraud cases like this still often occur in Bali.

“Many illegal agents or brokers take advantage of the high public interest in working abroad. They only seek profit without thinking about the protection and risks for the workers they send,” said Ida Bagus Yogi Puspakanta, who is familiarly called Gus Yogi.

BP3MI Bali then appealed to prospective PMI to always follow official procedures according to government regulations. If in doubt, they are advised to consult directly with the local Manpower Office or BP3MI Bali to ensure the legality of the agent offering the job.

“We hope that the public will be more concerned with the procedures for working safely abroad and not be tempted by unclear offers. Don’t let economic demands cause us to get caught in a fraud scheme,” concluded Gus Yogi. (mb)