Liberia President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf officially opened the Liberia Maritime Training Institute (LMTI) at an inauguration ceremony in Marshall City, Liberia, in early January.
Under the management of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), LMTI has undergone a renovation and facility modernisation programme over the past two years, resulting in the creation of a new campus and facilities.
Currently, there are 24 full-time cadet-students studying mechanical and electrical engineering, selected after a nationwide programme of interviews and examinations.
As informed, the 17.3-acre facility includes a new hi-tech workshop accommodating a machinery shop, a welding and gas-cutting shop, an electrical lab, an electronics lab, a machining shop, and a seamanship shop. Other facilities include a computer lab, ship simulators, air-conditioned classrooms, a training swimming pool, and a gymnasium.
“The Liberian government solicited LISCR to restore and operate LMTI, to facilitate first-rate education and to produce certified high-quality seafarers, in keeping with Liberia’s rich maritime heritage. The training is also designed to develop and nurture skills which can be used ashore in local markets for the advancement of the Liberian economy, and to support the expansion of the domestic maritime sector. Our overall objective is to enhance the capacity and quality of Liberia’s next-generation workforce,” stated LISCR managing director and chairman of the board for LMTI, Avi Zaidenberg.
