Job-seeking seafarers to face new challenges

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FE Report
Bangladeshi seafarers will be facing challenges to meet the new international training and certification standards as some changes are likely to come at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)'s convention.
Mariners at a seminar said IMO, the United Nation's regulatory body for mariners, is working on the changes in the Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping (STCW) which will come into force in 2012.
The UK-based Nautical Institute, Dhaka Branch (NIDB) organised the daylong seminar on "changes to STCW convention" on Friday with the objective to make the professional body aware of the proposed changes in STCW.
Director General of Department of Shipping Bazlur Rahman, former DG Ahsanul Azim and NIDB Chairman AKM Shafiqullah addressed the seminar where over 40 master mariners, high officials of Bangladesh Navy and Mercantile Department were present.
NIDB vice chairman Zaki Ahad highlighted the proposed changes as keynote speaker.
The speakers said Bangladesh being a signatory to the convention has obligation to abide by the convention and should take necessary measures to be ready for the changes.
As exiting training facilities provided by both public and private marine institutes are not enough to meet the requirement, they laid importance on improving quality training and continuous updating of professional knowledge under the guidelines of the convention.
They proposed to introduce new courses like rich resource management, bridge team management, electronic change display information system, risk assessment and management to comply with the amended convention and suggested all stakeholders to be ready to face from now to meet the changes.
At present, private and public mariners training institutes train 300 officers and 120 rating (crew) who play a laudable role in serving the international community and earning substantial foreign currency for the country.
The speakers said under the changes, the IMO will now oversee the regulatory requirement of mariners instead of the International Labour Organisation and fix working hours and free time requirements for seafarers during voyages.
They said electronic change display information system will also be made mandatory for all vessels and learning of more than one language apart from the most communicable international languages has been given importance in getting job.