The Seychelles Maritime and Safety Administration (SMSA) issues to Seychellois seafarers certificate of competency (CoC) as the Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA) provides a new sector of internationally recognised certified maritime studies for the purpose.
[The Certificate of Competency is a form of a license given to navigation officers and engineer officers to work on ships. The certificate complies with the international conventions on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping (STCW) to whom Seychelles is a ratifying state.]
Captain Ajith Peiris, chairman of the board of the Colombo International Nautical and Engineering College (Cinec), Sri Lanka, made the announcement during a press conference at the SMA premises, Providence.
According to chairman of SMA, Conrad Benoiton, the three-year process of training sets that local seafarers will conduct 70% of the training with theory courses and sea time accumulation on Seypec tankers. The 30% of the courses consist of automation training, at the Cinec for the duration of the last four months, which will not still be conducted due to the fact that SMA doesn’t have this kind of equipment.
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Seychelles nation reports that the ones that will take part have to undergo an examination regime of the administration where they appear for the relevant assessments in three categories: (1) Deck Officers-Master, Chief Mate, Navigational Watch Keeping Officer;(2) Engineer Officer-Chief Engineer, Second Engineer, Engineering Watch Keeping Officer and (3) Electro Technical Officer.
SMSA is now the legitimate authority to issue its own CoC to successful candidates who have completed their studies at Cinec and SMA.
SMSA issued the first ever CoC on May 15, to an Engineering Watch Keeping Officer (EWKO), Trevor Andre.
Moreover, the CoC in local seafarers will boost Seychelles’ budget, as it will allow for more local seafarers a chance to acquire such certificate as there will be no need to send people overseas for the required training.
In the past, the Seychelles did not qualify to perform the entire process without being accepted into the White List, and local seafarers studies in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and Singapore, and likewise in Sri Lanka, for the internationally recognised examinations and certifications.