Higher Education Minister, Blade Nzimande, is encouraging the youth to seek opportunities in the maritime industry in order to grow the Ocean Economy.
Nzimande was one of the speakers at the South African Maritime Industry Conference at the Boardwalk Convention Centre in Port Elizabeth on Thursday.
Addressing the media following the first session, Nzimande said the Martime Industry cannot grow without a supply of skills.
He said it was for this reason that the South African International Maritime Institute, based in Port Elizabeth, was formed as a consortium to achieve the objective of creating skills.
Nzimande said government had also come with initiatives to create opportunities for young people in the Maritime Industry.
"What we do in addition we have also got a career guidance programme run by our department called khetha that informs our young people about this. We are also collaborating with the department of basic education around designating certain schools as Martime schools because we think that is important inorder to create the pipeline. There are many opportunities in the Maritime industry" he said.
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape MEC for Rural Development, Agrarian Reform, Mlibo Qoboshiyane said his Department was coming up with plans to ensure that coastal towns also tap into the Ocean Economy.
"We do have a coastal array there are coastal towns and they need to have a programme to ensure that they are also buying in into this process" he said.
Qoboshiyane said the Department of of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is working around the clock to and visiting fisheries located in these coastal areas.
" So there is a very well considered plan as the province of the Eastern Cape to take this process forward" he added.
He said the province's was to become the biggest bunkering centre on African continent following a successful introduction of a deep-sea bunkering service off Port Elizabeth.
"The province is targeting liquid fuels including bunkering services and biofuels; gas to power generation; development of commercial and industrial gas; and oil rigs service industry. Our vision as the province is to become the biggest bunkering service centre on the continent. We are pleased with the progress in the first offshore bunkering services that started in May 2016. It has proved beyond reasonable doubt that Nelson Mandela Bay is the most suitable location for offshore bunkering services," he said.
Qoboshiyane also added that the department also has plans for a gas pipeline linking a new terminal in the port of Ngqura to Mossgas.
"The commitment by the national government to allocate 1000MW gas to power generation at Coega IDZ is warmly welcomed. The Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT) in partnership with Nelson Mandela University is in the advanced stages of baseline studies on the shale gas potential in the Karoo and other parts of the province.These initiatives place the Coega IDZ and Ngqura Port in a better position for Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) industry and gas to power generation," he said.
He said the Department of Economic Affairs is also exploring feeding East London Port with Liquid Natural Gas to supply industry around the Buffalo City Metro and the Wild Coast Special Economic Zone.
The three-day conference will conclude on Friday.
