[K-Shipbuilding, Vanishing Skilled Workers]②HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Introduces Core Technology Transfer System... Utilizing Manuals and Videos

"Identifying and Correcting Subtle Differences Between Blueprints and Reality Is the Role of Skilled Workers"

Hanwha Ocean Cultivates 'Master Craftsmen' Through Training

Samsung Heavy Industries Adopts VR and Robotics

The Biggest Chal

There is a growing sense of crisis within the shipbuilding industry over the possibility that decades of hands-on expertise in welding, piping, and painting could vanish as veteran workers retire. While the three major shipbuilders have each established their own systems for passing down skilled techniques, both industry insiders and outsiders believe there is still a long way to go.

Among the three major shipbuilders, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is regarded as having the most systematic approach to passing down skilled techniques. The company has operated its Core Technology Transfer System since 2012 to prevent the know-how of retiring baby boomers from disappearing from worksites. On June 4, at the yard in Dong-gu, Ulsan, Kim Gi-man, Chief Superintendent, was leading successors Kim Jungmin and Park Sangjun, both engineers, in the measurement process for an LPG carrier’s cargo hold. Their task was to identify discrepancies between design drawings and the actual structure, and to ensure that quality standards were met.

On the 4th, at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries yard in Dong-gu, Ulsan, Kim Gi-man, Chief Superintendent (center), the mentor of the Core Technology Transfer System, is training the successors Paik Sangjun, Engineer (left), and Kim Jungmin, Engineer (right), on accurately positioning work for LPG tank assembly. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries

Kim explained, "If you only look at the drawings, everything may seem correct, but in the field, small differences arise depending on the temperature or work environment. It is the role of experienced workers to spot these issues and know how to adjust for them." Park, one of the successors, said, "I’m learning how to assess and respond to unexpected variables or problems that I haven’t experienced before."

Mentors not only teach techniques but also write manuals; for tasks that are hard to describe in writing, they record instructional videos. The duration of the transfer period ranges from six to twelve months, depending on the complexity of the skill. Currently, the company manages 144 core technologies, and this year, transfer activities are underway for 19 of them.

Lee Jongmin, instructor at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Technical Training Center, said, "The purpose of the system is to ensure that know-how remains on-site even after skilled people retire. Steel plates repeatedly expand and contract with the seasons and temperature, and every worksite has different conditions, so experience in responding to variables is essential. Ultimately, these skills must be passed on by people."

Other shipbuilders are also developing their own approaches. Hanwha Ocean has implemented the Technical Leader (TL) system, dividing technical competencies into five levels, with higher-level technicians training those at lower levels. Incentives are provided at each promotion step, and those who reach the highest level are given the title "Master Craftsman." Masters receive a 10 million won bonus, a private office, a company vehicle, and may continue as technical instructors even after retirement. This year, for the first time, two masters were selected.

Samsung Heavy Industries is focused on preserving the craftsmanship of skilled workers in digital form. By using virtual reality (VR) training and simulation exercises, it is digitizing skilled techniques. The recently launched Pipe RoboFab is an attempt to combine welding know-how with robotics. The company is also accelerating its transition to smart factories by integrating design, production, and purchasing information through its automation platform "S-EDH." At its technical training institute, master craftsmen and senior technicians mentor junior colleagues directly.

Despite the different approaches, all share the same sense of crisis: unless know-how is passed on before skilled workers retire, it will be lost. However, experts point out that these transfer systems alone are not enough. If young workers do not enter the field in the first place, there will be no one to pass the skills on to.

There are some positive signs. In April, the electrical training track at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Technical Training Center attracted 120 applicants for 20 spots, a 6-to-1 competition rate. It is believed that the expansion of performance bonuses for partner companies is gradually improving perceptions of shipbuilding worksites. Still, experts agree that improving compensation alone is not sufficient. They emphasize the need to restore a structure where young workers enter the field and grow into skilled technicians, and to establish a system that allows these skills to be passed on to the next generation. While it takes years to build a single ship, fostering one skilled technician requires even more time and effort.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.