In a bid to promote talent, maritime body MASSA has initiated a reward scheme for Indian seafarers, a move that is expected to benefit over 7,500 Indian seafarers every year.
The Maritime Association of Shipowners Shipmanagers and Agents (MASSA) has initiated the ‘Reward Scheme for Excellence’ at its training academies operated by the Maritime Training & Research Foundation (MTRF) Trust for Indian seafarers who intend to undergo the preparatory ‘Certificate of Competency’ courses.
Under the scheme, Indian seafarers who successfully pass all functions of the written examinations conducted by the Director General of Shipping in the first attempt will be offered one simulator training course free of cost at the MASSA’s Maritime Academies based in Navi Mumbai or Chennai, a release said.
The move, a first of its kind by MASSA, is primarily aimed at increasing the global share of Indian seafarers and is expected to benefit over 7,500 Indian seafarers every year, the Association said in a release.
Controlled by MASSA, MTRF was formed in 1994.
“This reward will be offered initially for a period of one year for students enrolling at MASSA academies between December 2021 and December 2022. The eligible students can thereafter undergo simulator course training free of cost in our Navi Mumbai or Chennai academies within two years of the declaration of results of MMD examinations,” said Maneesh Pradhan, Chairman, MTRF.
This scheme will undoubtedly promote talent within the Indian shipping industry. COVID did result in some backlog but now that the maritime examination system is under way, MTRF wishes to reward meritorious people who would be driven to do well, he said.
The scheme is a big boost to the Indian maritime sector, Pradhan said, adding that the Indian seafarers have a distinct advantage over other Asian counterparts due to their competence and command over English.
The edge due to English is narrowing constantly as many countries have planned to bridge this gap resulting in some competition coming up. If India intends to retain and increase the global share of its highly skilled seafaring workforce, Indian merchant navy officers need to stand out in terms of competence and quality, the release said.
The newly launched Reward Scheme for Excellence for Indian seafarers by MASSA will continue to bolster the up-skilling process of the highly skilled Indian seafaring population, it added.