Adam Hartman
13 November 2008
THE fishing industry and the Namibian Maritime and Fisheries Institute (Namfi) have agreed to help all maritime students get the "sea time" needed to become qualified mariners.
Namfi and the industry met in Walvis Bay on Tuesday.
The finalisation of a sea-going training agreement for students topped the agenda.
While some points in the draft agreement were redefined for clarity, there was consensus to assist all students gain guided onboard experience at sea (sea time) as part of their training programme.
The final agreement will be between Namfi and individual companies, and should come into effect next year.
To complete a course, aspiring deck officers and engineers must do practical training.
Many applicants, who had never been to sea, were required in the past to get their own sea time.
Companies did not always have the space or time to give these applicants in-service training at sea.
They rather used their own trainees.
This resulted in many students unable to complete their Namfi courses.
Cabinet decided recently to implement a programme that compels the fishing industry to 'Namibianise' its workforce.
The latest agreement between Namfi and the industry is part of the introduction of this programme.
"There are many Namibian trainees that need to be employed.
The programme will be dedicated to give students an opportunity to practice what they learn, gain the experience and eventually replace the foreign workers.
It won't all happen tomorrow, but this agreement is an important milestone," said the Permanent Secretary of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Frans Tsheehama.
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