The South African International Maritime Institute has signed a memorandum of agreement with an international organisation which will benefit trainees in the Maritime Industry.
SAMIC CEO, Professor Malek Pourzanjani says the agreement forms part of the final outcomes of the three-day South African Maritime Industry Conference held in Port Elizabeth.
The annual conference, attended by hundreds of delegates including the Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, started on Wednesday.
Pourzanjani said the purpose of the conference was to bring key role-players in the maritime sector together, such as Government Departments and the private sector.
He said some of main issues discussed included the creation of employment through the Ocean Economy.
According to Prof Pourzanjani, a shortage of berths for the compulsory year-long on-board training creates a “bottleneck” for the qualification of young mariners in South Africa and the rest of the continent.
“It is important that South African universities and training institutions work together to transform the commitments contained in the MOU to opportunities for young graduates.”
The MOU commits SAIMI and Global On-Board-Training Centre (GOBTC) to work together to secure berths on vessels around the world for maritime cadets.
