New academy to reduce shortage of professionals

A maritime academy is to be set up to help tackle the region's acute shortage of skilled personnel in the sector.

The launch of the Emirates International Maritime Academy was announced yesterday by the Dubai Maritime City Authority. The academy will be based on the Dubai Maritime City Campus (DMCC) and will run marine-oriented academic programmes. Individuals wishing to work on trade ships will be able to obtain certificates in engineering and other subjects.

The courses will be conducted in accordance with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) standards and there will be short-term programmes covering a number of topics.

"One of the crucial elements that will support the long-term sustainability of the sector is a world-class pool of marine professionals," said DMCC Director Captain Jaafar Sidin.

"The professional expertise of the maritime workforce must be on par with international standards. Establishing a dedicated marine academy will be a significant step towards ensuring the steady supply of highly qualified maritime professionals in the region."

The academy will initially operate from temporary premises at Dubai Maritime City while awaiting the completion of the DMCC. It will launch its programmes during the next few weeks and one of the initial courses will cover steering yachts and boats of different sizes.

The academy is finalising other specialised classes on safety, rescue and the maritime environment along with short courses of a technical nature. Other programmes will cover maritime law.

"Emirates International Maritime Academy has chosen Dubai Maritime City's educational complex as its location because it provides highly-developed educational facilities that meet the highest international standards," added Jaafar.

"This is crucial in creating a learning environment. Many universities, institutes and research and development centres have expressed strong interest in establishing branches at the DMCC."

He said the academy would work closely with various maritime sectors in the UAE and the region to meet their human resources requirements.

The programmes will be expanded to include other disciplines to keep pace with global developments in the maritime field. The academy will seek to attract high school graduates from the UAE and beyond to join its engineering and navigation programmes and will appoint a team of highly-experienced teaching and administrative staff.