Major Shipping Lines pledge support for CMI students and graduates
The Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) is attracting major shipmangaement companies from across the globe and are promising significant returns on investments made by the companies, once they agree to provide training onboard for the Institute's cadets. Both the Cheif Executive Officers and their executives from two major shipping companies travelled to Jamaica to attend the 34th annual graduation ceremony of the CMI on Thursday, November 12, 2015 at the Jamaica Conference Centre. Niels Heartman of Heartman Group of Companies (parent company of Intership Company Limited) and Captain Marc Nuytemans from EXMAR Shipmangement Company both signed memoranda of understanding with the CMI during their visit to the island.
The agreements state that each company will be supplied with cadets to serve as interns at sea to complete their mandatory work experience, while enrolled at the CMI. By providing berths for the cadets, (internship vacancy onboard vessels) the shipping lines are securing future employees. With this agreement they aim to secure officers abroad their vessels who are highly skilled, compentent and well trained in marine engineering and marine transportation. This has great benefits for both the shipping lines and the Institute, as it is the mandate of the Institution to graduate industry ready professionals and sea time is a critical component in this process. Also the companies are able to better select from a cadre of graduates who are already trained to their company standards and are familiar with the expectations and culture of their operations and individual vessels.
A major concern for many graduates from local colleges and universities is the availability of jobs upon leaving school. Traditional areas of employment are already saturated and with the effects of a shrinking global community becoming more and more evident through increased competition for scarce jobs, students are urged to seek out areas with the prospects of growth and sustainability. This is the charge to graduates of the CMI who have already made the valiant step towards securing a rewarding career by choosing a profession in maritime and shipping industries.
The most specialized among these careers is seafaring which requires a drive to succeed and the fortitude to overcome challenges in often unconventional ways. With state of the art training facilities among a combined over 200 vessels between these two companies, the future is bright for maritime professional.
