Ghana has signed an agreement with the Republic of Korea for the latter, to provide a training ship for the purposes of providing Ghanaian seafarers and cadets with the hands-on skills necessary to ply a trade at sea.
Principal Maritime Administration Officer at the Ghana Maritime Authority, Awudu Enusah, who made this revelation on the Eye on Port programme said this capacity building programme would be designed to help position Ghanaian seafarers to meet the demands of modern seamanship.
Mr. Enusah said “just last week there was a meeting between the Maritime Authority and a delegation from Korea on this matter.”
He also disclosed that, the GMA is considering the introduction of a condition that would oblige vessels operating in Ghanaian waters to take up some Ghanaian seafarers for training in areas they are deficient in.
“What we want to do is that, as part of the pre-conditions for the issuance of permit to work within our waters, you would have to take on board some of our ratings and officers. So at the end of every year, before renewal, you would have to declare the number of ratings and officers you have trained.”
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Mr. Enusah added, “We are also ensuring that we renew the rating courses to conform with the Manila convention to ensure that every rating that comes out of our institutions can rock shoulders with any other seafarer from every part of the world.”
He revealed that much work has been done to ensure that Ghana is on the IMO whitelist, which is an audit report of nations complying with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).
The officer of the Ghana Maritime Authority also said the Authority is promoting the implementation of a Cabotage law that would seek to make certain maritime operations a preserve for Ghanaians.
He said, all of these efforts are being made to address the concern of inadequate employment opportunities for Ghanaian seafarers.
On the same programme, President of the Seafarers Centre Ghana, Edem Kofi Loh-Mensah had lamented inadequate mechanisms and policies for the employment of Ghanaian Seafarers.
Similarly, a Lecturer at the Regional Maritime University, Captain William Amanhyia had also argued that there is increased demand of seafarers globally but, major liners are not taking up Ghanaian seafarers because they lack the practical experience.
He said resourcing of Ghana’s maritime institutions such as the acquisition of a training ship would go a long way to provide these hands-on skills.
