Examining the role of seafarer training institutions in the Middle East in addressing regional manpower needs
1. Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Purpose of the Study
2. Current Status of Seafarer Training Institutions in the Middle East
2.1 Overview of Training Institutions
2.2 Training Programs Offered
2.3 Challenges Faced by Training Institutions
3. Impact of Seafarer Training Institutions on Regional Manpower Needs
3.1 Contribution to Employment Opportunities
3.2 Quality of Training and Competency Development
3.3 Collaboration with Industry Stakeholders
3.4 Addressing Skill Gaps and Industry Demands
4. Recommendations for Enhancing the Role of Seafarer Training Institutions
4.1 Strengthening Curriculum and Training Methods
4.2 Enhancing Industry Partnerships
4.3 Promoting Research and Development in Maritime Education
Examining the role of seafarer training institutions in the Middle East in addressing regional manpower needs
1. Introduction
Over the past few decades, the maritime industry has seen a shift in workforce from the developed nations to the developing nations. This is primarily due to the fact that the seafarers and the personnel that are employed in the maritime industry now come from the developing nations. According to the International Shipping Federation (ISF, 2015) statistics, Asian nations supply 75 percent of the officers and the European Union supplies about 18 percent. This global trend is also known as the ‘Manila Phenomenon’, which refers to the remarkable increase in the number of Filipino seafarers. Over the years, developing nations have made significant investments in human resources development in the maritime sector by offering different levels of maritime education and training. This includes short courses for ratings, maritime professional courses, and higher education for seafaring officers. This has led to an increase in the number of training institutions and an increase in personnel that are trained in the maritime fields. In the Middle East, there are some well-established training institutions such as the Latakia Maritime Academy in Syria and the prestigious Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport which has eight campuses. However, little is known about the current status of seafarer training institutions in the Middle East and their impact on regional manpower needs. This research study will seek to address this gap in the existing body of knowledge and provide an insight into the world of maritime education in the region. This introduction section provides background information concerning the ‘Manila Phenomenon’ and a general overview of the level of investment in the Middle Eastern countries. It also sets out the aim and the objectives of this study.
1.1 Background
The number of licensed and active seafarers in the Middle East is increasing sharply nowadays. There are six member countries of the GCC in the Middle East: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to the statistics, the tonnage of the ships was increased by over 66.8% from 30,025,370 tonnes to 50,061,132 tonnes over the period of January to November, 2014 in these six countries. As mentioned in various studies, the countries that have the greatest naval power in the world, such as the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, China, India, and Russia, are more concerned with the conditions of seafarers in these particular countries. And most of the studies are talking about the improvements of the working and living conditions for the seafarers in these developed countries. However, the problems that exist for the improvement of the situation of the seafarers in the Middle East are not given enough explanation and this sector is not enough explored. Considering the problem with regard to the seafarers working in the Middle East, especially the lack of training institutions and the respect of rights and personnel development in these institutions, this research will conduct focusing on the seafarers and the institutions in the Middle East. This study is aimed to identify the problems that seafarers face in the Middle East; to examine the existing training institutions and the effectiveness of these institutions in the Middle East; to analyze the rights of the seafarers; to analyze how personnel development of the seafarers ensure safety at sea; and to provide some recommendation as to how the situation can be improved for the seafarers in the Middle. Still, there is no any shipping expertise in the Middle East, which shows the clear need for the continuous development of manpower in the Middle East. That is only a few courses are offered and many seafarers have to go to study the specialized. It is the fact that a major proportion of officers and engineers who have successfully attained their legal right of a good recruitment in the Middle East but they are from the developed countries and who are settled out of the region. However, the numbers of licensed seafarers for the Middle East are increasing across different areas, especially in the marine industry although the number of the seafarers and the license conditions are apart from the local. It should be recognized that. Meanwhile, it is also showing that only a few of local people are able to take the place of licensed workforce and participate in the marine industry nowadays, which it is relatively ignored the potential of local workforces.
1.2 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to examine the role of seafarer training institutions in addressing the manpower needs of the Middle East region. Educational institutions which provide maritime education and training programs have a major part in the growth and competitiveness of the industry, locally and at the global level. The impact of seafarer training institutions in addressing the workforce needs of the region is an area that has not been adequately addressed in the current literature. This study will explore not only the kind of training and education these institutions offer, but also how they help to provide employment opportunities for the local workforce and facilitate sustainable development of the industry in the region. By doing so, the overall effectiveness of such institutions in producing skilled and competent manpower would be critically assessed. Also, as the industry continues to develop and modernize, new challenges and demands for better and more effectively trained manpower emerge. So, the study will try to discover whether the current practices and methods these institutions engaged in – in delivering training and education – indeed respond successfully to the changes and demands in the industry or not. Through a case study methodology and the examination of the educational and training services offered by seafarer institutions in the Middle East -considering the unique nature of this region and the qualities of such institutions-, the study will try to draw lessons and suggest improvements. These potential improvements, suggested in the recommendations, could help to further advance the contribution of such institutions to the workforce needs of the region. Overall, the aim of the research is to gather evidences about the effectiveness or perhaps weaknesses of these institutions in the region in addressing workforce needs from different perspectives -either through the perspective of improving work opportunities for locals, or by raising the competence and competitiveness of the region’s industry, or even from the perspective of meeting the industry’s skill needs. Also, the intention of the study is to provide insights and guidance for policy-makers and those who are involved in maritime education, for example curriculum developers, educators and industry stakeholders, on how to better align and enhance the role of these institutions with the workforce needs of the region.
2. Current Status of Seafarer Training Institutions in the Middle East
