The Philippines and Indonesia, which are home to just under 21% of the world’s crew members, are taking action to support their seafarers in developing modern skill sets as shipping decarbonizes.
The ‘Seizing opportunities for green shipping in Asia and the Pacific’ conference, organized by the Philippines’ Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), will highlight the steady progress made by important seafarer home nations in Asia, such as the Philippines and Indonesia, to provide their maritime workers with the skill sets needed to deliver a low and zero-carbon maritime sector.
The MARINA conference provides a platform to share regional perspectives, emission reduction priorities and promote green shipping in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The event is organized in collaboration with the Danish Maritime Authority, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Countries with a strong maritime workforce must keep pace with the changing requirements of our industry as we transition to a low and zero carbon future which will benefit everyone.
… said Philippine Transmarine Carriers (PTC) CEO and International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) board member, Gerardo A. Borromeo
Philippines
With 252,392 of the world’s seafarers – 13.3% of global crew members – calling the Philippines home, the country’s ability to shift its training systems towards low and zero-carbon will impact the maritime sector’s progress on climate targets.
The country has already taken steps to prepare with President Marcos launching the tripartite International Advisory Committee on Global Maritime Affairs (IACGMA) in January 2023. In addition to advising on how best to ensure the global competitiveness of Filipino seafarers, the committee is a key forum for the country to prepare future seafarers for a Maritime Just Transition.
Filipino seafarers have a long history of powering sea-borne trade and we hope to continue this tradition as we move towards decarbonized horizons.
… said Sonia B Malaluan, Deputy Administrator for Planning at MARINA
Indonesia
Indonesia is also making inroads to upskill its maritime workforce in line with the emerging needs of the sector through its ‘Skills for Prosperity programme in Indonesia’, delivered by the International Labour Organization (ILO). The country, which is home to about 7.6% (143,702) of the world’s seafarers, is modernizing its training regime through international partnerships that share knowledge as well as best practice.
The United Kingdom-funded programme includes the establishment of an industry advisory board for each of the four Indonesian polytechnics involved. This structure aims to promote closer collaboration between education and industry, and provide clear progression for graduates into skilled employment.
We look forward to sharing the lessons learned from this programme so that other regions can make informed decisions about the best ways in which to prepare their future maritime workforces.
… said Mary Kent, Chief Technical Advisor, ILO
Supporting seafarers
Maritime operations of the future are likely to be significantly more complex with new fuels and technologies being used in an increasingly digital and automated work environment – a fact that is likely to influence the upcoming review of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) convention and code.
Fabrizio Barcellona, the Seafarers and Inland Navigation Section Coordinator at the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) warns that although the actions by the Filipino and Indonesian authorities are admirable, there is still much to be done if we are to appropriately empower a global seafaring workforce of the future. Collaboration between these sets of stakeholders is essential to deliver a Maritime Just Transition and safeguard their long term standing as global leaders in seafaring, Fabrizio Barcellona added.
Decarbonizing shipping is essential to combat the climate crisis and it is encouraging to see seafarer hubs across Asia and Africa taking action to equip their workers with the skills for future green operations.
… said Sturla Henriksen, Special Advisor for Ocean, UN Global Compact.
To remind, in early May, Unlocking Green Maritime Jobs panel-discussion outlined that policymakers are being advised to implement training infrastructure to maximize ‘high-quality’ employment opportunities for African workers and facilitate the continent’s green transition.
Upcoming training
A new effort to produce a seafarer training framework for decarbonization with relevant training materials for seafarers and maritime education and training providers is expected to be launched in July 2023 under Phase 2 of the Maritime Just Transition Taskforce.
In an exclusive interview with SAFETY4SEA, Martha Selwyn who is currently Manager at the United Nations Global Compact and leads work on the social-climate nexus with the Maritime Just Transition Task Force, explained why this initiative represents an unprecedented international collaboration.
We know that seafarers are eager to do their part to green shipping’s operations and this framework, alongside some of the free online courses developed by the IMO, can help to boost crew knowledge of how their daily operations impact the environment.
… said Arsenio Dominguez, IMO’s Director of the Marine Environment Division
Seafarers can access the IMO’s free Energy Efficient Ship Operation training programme on the UN Climate Change Learning Partnership website.
