Last week saw the international maritime community celebrate World Maritime Day (September 24, 2015). A key point that was at the forefront of all discussions provoked by this year’s theme of “Maritime Education And Training” was that poor Internet access onboard ships is the largest disincentive to young people taking up seagoing roles.
At a symposium held at the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) headquarters in London on World Maritime Day, speakers from the maritime industry and academia discussed the adequacy and future of maritime education and training.
The symposium was opened by IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu, who stressed the need for high-quality maritime education and training as the basis of a safe and secure shipping industry. He also stated that attracting new recruits into the industry was highly important.
Professor Jingjing Xu, Associate Dean, Research, Faculty of Business, Plymouth University highlighted the importance of ensuring a high proportion of students moved into the maritime professions after completing their maritime training. She argued that in order to address the predicted lack of officers and rating in the future, conditions for seafarers onboard need to be appealing and that currently, poor Internet access onboard ships is the largest disincentive to young people taking up seagoing roles.
All speakers at the symposium stressed the need to raise the profile and the image of shipping in general, in order to attract young people into maritime professions. Towards this end, opinion formers, like teachers and politicians, including those managing education policies should be informed about shipping and the maritime world.
Related to this, the low percentage of women seafarers was mentioned as an issue that needed to be addressed.
Other speakers raised the issue of the lack of training berths. One cadet highlighted the fact that her country did not have training ships, an issue which needs to be resolved to ensure her training does not go to waste due to lack of sea experience.
Another point of discussion was the ongoing quality assessment of seafarer training courses, as required under IMO’s International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). Following a career at sea, former seafarers need to be supported into maritime careers onshore, including any necessary re-training.
IMO Assistant Secretary-General Andy Winbow summed up the sessions, stating that shipping clearly needs people and its image has to be addressed. Nonetheless, he believes that cadets around the world and those who had been able to attend the symposium have a bright future ahead of them.
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