College of the Marshall Islands Maritime Training Center Program Update 2 May 2014 CMI-MTC began hosting MIMRA training events at the Arrak campus on 14 April. Fifteen MIMRA Observer candidates and two qualified MIMRA observers attended a 2-week sea safety training course taught by MTC staff. The fifteen candidates rolled over on 28 April into the second phase of MIMRA Observer training being taught by FFA instructors while MTC continues to accommodations, classrooms and other facility support to MIMRA. The MIMRA sea safety course itself is being phased out and is being replaced by an IMO-compliant STCW (Standards for Certification and Training of Watchkeepers) basic safety training course that is being audited and certified by the Singapore office of Det Norske Veritas-Germanischer Lloyd (DNV-GL) on behalf of the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator (ship registry) as required by the IMO STCW Convention. The STCW training is the core component of each of MTC’s projected course offerings directed at entry-level seafarers as well as a stand-alone offering that meets minimum international requirements for employment at sea in any capacity. The RMI flag state authority acting as Maritime Administrator (managed by Trust Company of the Marshall Islands and International Registries Incorporated of Reston, VA, USA) is obliged by international law and RMI statute to issue Seafarer Identification and Record Books (SIRB) upon receipt of application from qualified seafarers. The SIRB is an absolute legal requirement for all persons serving aboard commercial vessels. Persons completing the STCW course at MTC or employed aboard purse seine and long line vessels are qualified and eligible to apply for SIRB. Until DNV-GL complete their assessment of MTC training management systems, and until WASC approves the inclusion of STCW into CMI’s course structure, MIMRA will issue training certificates under its authority. Once all accreditations are in place MTC will issue certificates under RMI flag state authority as the only IMO-approved training provider in Micronesia. MIMRA generously provided a $500,000 grant to CMI that has enabled all subsequent development of maritime programs. In light of this and other continuing MIMRA support MTC has waived all course fees for MIMRA students through the remainder of FY14. Beginning October 1 MIMRA will be assessed fees according to the below schedules. MTC proposes to contact private sector operators in FSM, Palau, Kiribati and Nauru to provide information regarding the establishment of its programs and encourage students from these countries to attend at costs well below comparable offerings elsewhere. Due to problems with a mainland-based training equipment vendor several key items purchased in November have not yet arrived in Majuro. The vendor assures MTC that a number of life jackets, self-contained breathing apparatus (used for firefighting training), fire hose nozzles and fittings, life raft and other equipment will be delivered by the end of May. MTC will continue to provide the classroom portion of STCW and invite attendees to return at no additional cost to complete 1.5 days of mandatory practical instruction in firefighting and ocean survival. MTC has finalized its course fee structure as below. Note that MTC-STCW at $350 per student is at least $1000 less than the fees, exclusive of travel and accommodations, charged by training providers in Hawaii, Philippines and Australia. MTC has received preliminary indications of support from the private sector to offer a four-week basic crewmember course based on SPC training guidelines issued in 2009. This basic crew course, when preceded by completion of STCW, provides industry with basically trained commercial fishermen who will be more attuned to their job requirements, more motivated to work for success, able to work safely at sea, and will reduce attrition and turnover among domestic crews at a critical point in the development of RMI’s commercial purse seine fishery. The crewmember course is also being promoted by MIMRA as a mandatory component of fisheries observer training and qualification. FY 2014 MTC Course Fees (exclusive of room, board and transportation charges) Course Fee Length (weeks) STCW $350 2 STCW (MIMRA) Waived 2 SPC Basic Crew Member $900 4 Observer (MIMRA) Waived 5 Observer (FFA) $875 5 Maritime Apprentice Standard CMI tuition and fees 16 FY 2015 MTC Course Fees Course Fee Length (weeks) STCW (All) $350 2 SPC Basic Crew Member $900 4 Observer (MIMRA) $475 5 Observer (FFA) $875 5 Maritime Apprentice Standard CMI tuition and fees 16 Course Development MTC is continuing the development of the Maritime Apprentice program, which will serve as the foundation for a number of future vocational programs of study. These programs will provide the Marshall Islands workforce with trained and qualified mariners, diesel mechanics, electricians, machinists, maritime tourism workers and marine environmental technicians. These are some skills in short supply domestically that have historically been filled by expatriate workers. Providing these skills to Marshallese workers is a cornerstone of the RMI workforce development strategy and should be supported at all levels and in all sectors. The goals of MTC vocational programs are to provide sustainable, relevant, internationally certified and portable job skills that will make RMI workers competitive in the global labor market.
Posted on: Tue, 06 May 2014 03:40:32 +0000
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