31 Jul 13 - 10:43
Kenya faces a shortage of 20,000 seafarers following the rapid growth in international maritime transport, the nations maritime regulator, Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) has disclosed.
KMA Head of Maritime Safety, Mr Wilfred Kagimbi said that the country has found itself having a number of positions to fill since Kenya attained the Whitelist recognition by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 2009 and subsequent gazettement of Merchant Shipping (Training and Certification) Regulations 2012.
The gazettement of the Merchant Shipping regulations gave effect to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Watchkeeping and Certification of seafarers.
"This means that the education and training offered in the country's Maritime Education and Training institutions meets internationally recognised standards and hence Kenyan seafarers - once certificated - are able to compete globally for the available seafaring jobs,'' Kagimbi explained.
According to Kagimbi, IMO estimates that currently, there is a global shortage of seafarers, that is, 83,900 officers and 450,000 ratings.
It, therefore, follows that there are numerous opportunities for properly qualified and certificated Kenyan seafarers not only locally but also globally.
Currently, there are 5,000 registered Kenyan seafarers working in the international fleet and also manning ships and small crafts plying Kenyan waters,'' he said in an email response to Job Centre.
Source: Standard Digital
31 Jul 13 - 13:06
Nautilus International urges seafarers to take part in Career Mapping Project survey
The project aims to identify barriers and find solutions to mobility issues in the maritime industry
Nautilus International urges seafarers to contribute to a European Union-funded project investigating seafarers' experiences in transitioning from ship to shore jobs, as part of wider work to promote seafaring careers.
Trainees, serving seafarers or former seafarers now working ashore can complete one of three relevant questionnaires which, along with other structured interviews, support the second phase of the Career Mapping Project (CM2). Cash prizes are also available to trainees and serving seafarers completing the questionnaires by 31 August.
The project aims to identify barriers and find solutions to mobility issues in the maritime industry. It is hoped more young people will be encouraged into a career at sea if they can be shown the range of further opportunities for work ashore in the 'maritime cluster'.
David Dearsley, the consultant appointed to conduct the Career Mapping Update (CM2) Project, said early results have shown some interesting and positive conclusions.
'The main reasons why people apply for maritime training are remarkably consistent and remarkably positive - they view a maritime career as interesting and challenging, they like travel and meeting people and they "like ships",' he said.
'Most serving seafarers expect to remain at sea for 10-15 years and most ex-seafarers confirm this to be the period after which they transferred ashore.'
Reassuringly, most ex-seafarers did not experience great problems in finding work ashore in the maritime cluster, and a growing number of shipping companies now recognise that helping seafarers with their career development, including job opportunities ashore, should be part of their normal HR activity, added Mr Dearsley.
One of the major reasons stated for going ashore by the 1,600 active, former and trainee seafarers, who had taken part in the existing questionnaires, was the need for a new challenge , he said. The final results of CM2 will be presented in mid-November 2013.
Source: Nautilus International
