Our people
Our employees are our most valuable asset. Although VARD has experienced its fair share of transformation, we have stayed the course and remained steadfast in our core values of Craftsmanship, Fellowship and Salesmanship. These values we find in all our employees.
Through VARDs history we have experienced several changes in our core markets, the downturns have been met with unique strategies and we have emerged stronger and more robust than before. Our success serve as testament to the dedication of our people across the Company, from the naval architects in our design centre in Norway to steel workers, pipe fitters and electricians in Vietnam, from engineers in Romania to our young apprentices in the yards in Norway.
Notwithstanding the complexity of our global presence across eight yards in three continents, we remain indebted to our strong traditions and heritage, to which we owe our solid foundation and future opportunities. Indeed, we have come a long way from what began as a builder of fishing vessels for the needs of the local community to what is today one of the world’s major designers and shipbuilders of advanced and complex offshore and specialized vessels.
Training and competence
Over the years, VARD has built-up substantial know-how and become a renowned player in the shipbuilding industry. The complexity of our processes and an everchanging global market require us to maintain a constant focus on competence development within the Group.
Our projects, which range from traditional ships to some of the world’s most sophisticated vessels, enable our talented personnel to learn from different methods and technologies. Multidisciplinary teams foster knowledge-sharing amongst our highly skilled people and allow us to create strong and dynamic project organizations. Significant efforts have been made to ensure that expertise is transferred from project to project and across yards.
The development of green competence remains a focus area as we strive to design and build more sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions for our customers.
Cooperation with trade unions
Most of our employees are members of trade unions, and VARD acknowledges the importance of maintaining a cooperative relationship with these unions. By doing so, the Group is well positioned to secure early involvement and establish an open and constructive dialogue with all internal stakeholders concerning issues related to the workforce and its development.
