THE MARITIME Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) is this week hosting a regional Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping (STCW) Convention Quality Standards Systems workshop for maritime personnel with direct responsibility for education, training and assessment of seafarers.
The workshop, which is being held from July 25 to July 29 at the Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston, is being conducted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as part of its Technical Assistance Programme to the region.
"Under its Technical Assistance Programme, the IMO periodically conducts workshops in the region to upgrade and enhance the skills of maritime personnel with various responsibilities throughout the shipping industry," explained Rear Admiral Peter Brady, director general of the MAJ.
"The STCW Convention Quality Standards Systems workshop aims to enhance the effectiveness of implementation of quality standards systems required by the STCW Convention. The STCW Convention outlines the minimum standards by which seafarers worldwide are trained, including at the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI)," Mr. Brady noted.
Lieutenant Commander Michael Rodriguez, executive director of the CMI, which trains seafarers from the region, sees the workshop as beneficial to the institute.
OPPORTUNE TIME
"The workshop comes at an opportune time when we at the CMI are revamping some of our systems and upgrading facilities to better provide for our students. We strictly adhere to the requirements of the STCW Convention in our training of seafarers and the workshop can only help us to be better," Mr. Rodriguez said.
At the end of the week, participants would have updated their knowledge on the principles of quality standards systems within the context of the STCW Convention and enhanced their understanding of the requirements for establishing and monitoring quality standards systems to effectively implement the STCW Convention in their respective countries.
Participants are drawn from government departments, educational institutions and shipping companies from six Caribbean countries: Antigua, Bahamas, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and host country Jamaica.
