400 are in an agonising wait to obtain internship Chittagong: With the local fleet of merchant ships getting smaller, the number of graduates passing out from 19 institutions swelling every year and the growing visa tangles, the future of job market for marine cadets has become more uncertain. More than 400 marine cadets have been in an agonising wait for long eight months to avail the chance of serving as interns due to inadequate number of local ships and visa complications. The agents, who supply manpower to the overseas employers, said they were passing through a difficult time as their business has witnessed a sharp decline. Many countries, including the UAE, Singapore, Oman, Muscat, Thailand, Taiwan, Ecuador, Turkey and Brazil are now showing reluctance to provide visa to Bangladeshi nationals. Sources at a recruiting agency in Chittagong, on condition of anonymity, alleged that many countries were reluctant to provide visa to Bangladeshi marine cadets as many unqualified and unskilled people earlier allegedly managed marine jobs showing fake documents in collusion with some unscrupulous officials of the Department of Shipping (DoS). “Once there was high demand for Bangladeshi seafarers in the overseas ships, but the situation has changed after detection of some incidents of document forgery,” one agent said. “A lot of private institutions in the country are failing to impart quality training to the marine cadets putting the country’s image in jeopardy. Those substandard institutions are also charging exorbitant fees,” alleged Abdullah-Al-Mamun, a guardian of a marine cadet. According to sources at the DoS, the privately-run 18 institutions in the country produced 300 cadets until last December and 400 more cadets are waiting to complete their courses. According to the state-run Bangladesh Marine Academy (BMA), a total of 305 cadets of the 48th batch completed their two-year long training programme last December from the institution. Only 106 cadets, out of total 305, could avail the chance of doing internship in the last eight months. Moreover, five cadets passing out as the 47th batch from the BMA could not get the chance of doing internship. According to the Association of Bangladesh Maritime Training Institute, a total of 55 cadets passed out from Cambridge Maritime College. However, only 10 cadets have managed to avail the chance of doing internship. A total of 27 cadets passed out from West Way Marine Academy recently, but none of them could manage internship. Ocean Maritime Academy has produced 40 cadets recently, but only three managed to receive internship. A marine cadet after completing a two-year long training at the academy has to receive a one-year training (internship) on a ship. A cadet has to complete the compulsory internship for obtaining the BMS (Bachelor of Maritime Science) certificate. A cadet cannot start his professional career without appearing at the CoC (Certificate of Competence) under the Department of Shipping. Four cadets -- two from BMS Nautical Science Department and two from Marine Engineering Department-- can serve internship at a time on a ship. Currently, a total of 164 cadets can do their internship annually on about 41 local ships. “It was my dream to become a marine cadet. The college authorities promised us with lucrative salary after completing the training. But all my dreams are now shattered. The college authorities also guaranteed us to arrange internship in overseas ships. Against such backdrop, I would advise people to think twice before opting for marine cadet,” said a cadet who passed out of Cambridge Maritime College. “A medical student after completing MBBS does not have to think about internship as he/she can get it in his/her own institution. But we have to arrange internship on our own. The BMA authorities do not help us in this respect,” said a cadet who passed out from the academy. However, Dr Sajid Hussain, commandant of BMA, told The Independent that not a single marine cadet passed out from the academy previously is unemployed. “The BMA is a centre of excellence and a pride of our country. The present internship backlog has been created as many cadets are graduating from 18 private institutes,” observed the commandant. “I think the government should reduce the number of marine cadet enrollment for now and boost the diplomatic relations with other countries to address the problem,” said AKM Masud Karim, general secretary of Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers’ Association.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 09:32:30 +0000
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