Under the General Directorate of Seafarers (DGGM), the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) launched a program called “My First Maritime Work Experience”, aiming to provide young professionals of the maritime sector the opportunity to obtain their first work experience.
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. 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.
The Philippine’s Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) expressed confidence it will address all deficiencies surrounding seafarers’ training and certification in light of the next EMSA audit in February 2020. The Philippines has already submitted documents to show proof of compliance to EMSA.
During the first SAFETY4SEA Forum in Manila, Leo M. Bolivar, Country Manager, International Registries (Far East) Limited, which provides administrative and technical support to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry, noted that global demand for competent seafarers has been constantly growing over the years with shortage expected to peak in the next five years. He then described how the RMI Registry together with other industry stakeholders is proactively developing future seafarers through its work at the IMO, as well as human resources programs on education, training, and experience to produce quality crew for safer ships.
During the first SAFETY4SEA Forum in Manila, Capt. Albert E. Bartilad, Vice President and COO of Manila Shipmanagement & Manning, Inc. and Vice President and CTO of the Manship Maritime Training Center, Inc. shed light on a relatively modern concept: safer, smarter seafaring through soft skills training. Capt. Bartilad believes that competence, while necessary, does not always guarantee performance. Accidents, he stresses, will always happen, and he advocates the development of resilient crew who can perform in difficult situations as the key to preventing greater loss.
On Friday, December 6, the Director of the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB), Kathryn Neilson, addressed the seventy Vships cadets and staff during their conference; highlighting the vitally important work implemented by the MNTB right now.
The Bahamas Maritime Authority has recently issued guidance and instructions concerning the variation in qualifications and training required for people on Bahamian registered Mobile Offshore Units (MOU) as well as other such units, as determined by the BMA, used in the offshore oil and gas industry.
The Bahamas Maritime Authority has recently issued guidance and instructions concerning the Bahamas policy and procedures relating to the approval and acceptance of seafarer training or instruction for seafarers employed or engaged onboard Bahamian ships.
Taking lives of over 1,000 people, the sinking of the RoRo ferry Al-Salam Boccaccio 98 remains a good example of study as poor emergency procedures resulted to deaths of over 1,000 people and spurred widespread criticism of the crew, as well as the owner company.
In a new report, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GOA) recommends that the U.S. Navy should take further measures in order to improve training quality. In fact, with the aim to improve ship-driving skills, the Navy has added classroom and simulator training for the Surface Warfare Officers who drive these ships, since 2017, when ship collisions resulted in the loss of 17 sailors’ lives as well as significant damage to Navy ships.
