InterManager is participating in a new scheme aiming to increasing the number of cadet berths on vessels, assisting cadets to gain the needed sea time in order to be qualified as seafarers.
Accordingly, the cadet program is available for any ship management company wishing to allocate sea berths to students studying at Polish maritime universities who have already spent six months at sea but require a further six months to complete their training and qualify as officers or engineers. The initial pilot program will be open to Polish cadets but InterManager aspires to provide the program to additional seafaring countries in the near future.
The program launched by the Polish Government which guarantees 75% subsidies towards six-month contracts for 400 Polish cadets, was the result of Intermanager partnering with the Polish Seafarers Trade Union Organization OMK, inviting ship operators to take part in it.
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The two partners will help the cadets’ employment and be in contact with the maritime university or an MLC approved shipping agency.
So, when the cadets fulfill their sea time and graduate as an officer or engineer, InterManager will be the one discussing with shipowners to provide them a full-time role with the company.
Captain Kuba Szymanski, InterManager Secretary General was the one announcing the initiative, commenting
In order to complete their maritime training, every seafarer has to serve 12 months at sea. This is what differentiates regular shore-based studies from maritime – we need 12 months of sea time where our people ‘get their hands deep in grease’ before being able to achieve their final certification.
Moreover, he added that this program will give the vessel owners the incentive they need to take cadets onboard.
The program will be launch in January 2020; InterManager informs that ship managers should ensure the number of sea berths they are providing for a six month period. In return they can claim a refund of up to €950 per cadet per month. Funding is available to support a maximum of 400 cadets.
The deadline to claim a refund is September 2021.
Concluding, this program follows Singapore’s initiative, when back in 2017 the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore(MPA) announced the“Training Berth Relief Support”, helping shipping companies sustain their efforts in cadet training by alleviating a part of their training costs.