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NEWS - SA MEDIA FOCUS ON MARITIME TRAINING IN SA - JULY 2012
A renewed focus on maritime training in South Africa - one of the many issues raised at the SA Maritime Industry Conference held in Cape Town in early July - has resulted in requests from the South African media for clarification on what Safmarine has done to support maritime training in South Africa since the late 1990s. Please find below an overview, which includes statistics on the number of South Africans trained (currently being trained and trained since 1997). See also the attached clipping from Business Report newspaper which covered the issue in its lead editorial column of 10 July 2012:
Our support for the South African maritime industry covers three main areas:
1) Lawhill Maritime Centre at Simon's Town High School.
Safmarine has funded the Lawhill Maritime Studies programme since its inception in 1995. The programme - which was pioneered by Safmarine - aims to attract young learners to the shipping industry, stimulate maritime awareness among young people and provide the industry with motivated new entrants equipped with a range of maritime-related knowledge and skills.
Lawhill's maritime studies programme is a rather 'unique' programme because it is one of very few examples of an industry/company playing a role, at secondary school level, in providing industry-focused education which improves the school leaver's chances of finding employment. Safmarine provides financial assistance/bursaries which makes it possible for many learners from disadvantaged communities to participate in the programme.
Lawhill is currently also the only school in South Africa offering two streams of maritime study that help prepare young people for careers within the maritime industry. Learners who begin the course with little background - some not even having seen the sea or a ship at close quarters - emerge with a range of knowledge and skills that makes them immediately employable in the shipping industry. The two study streams are Maritime Economics and Nautical Science. The programme is aimed at Grade 10 to 12 learners (ages 15 to 17/18 years) and learners come from all over South Africa, drawn from the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng. Lawhill currently provides instruction for around 60 day students and 51 boarders and its programme has been recognised internationally - for example, it won the Lloyds List 'Salute to Youth and Training' Award in 1999 and in April 2012 it won a SEATRADE Investment in People award.
Upon finishing the maritime studies course at Lawhill Maritime Centre and a further year specialising in navigation or marine engineering, young South Africans can embark on a sea-going career as cadets or ratings on merchant vessels (containerships, tankers, bulk carriers or tugs) or follow a career ashore in various fields such as liner operations, port operations, ship's agents, shipbrokers, the clearing and forwarding sector and bunkering, amongst others. (See end of document for third party comments on this programme).
2) Cadet training - provision of training berths onboard Safmarine vessels
Historically, Safmarine has been the largest provider of vessel training berths in South Africa. It is important to note that not all cadets and personnel trained by Safmarine are employed by the company - there is general benefit to the industry/and to other parts of Africa. For example, in the past Safmarine has trained personnel for Transnet/TNPA, the SA Navy, the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and officers and ratings for certified diamond mining companies.
By providing 'training berths' on board our ships, we have made it possible for many young South Africans to gain the seatime required to obtain an international maritime qualification.
Today we see many South Africans - who had served as cadets on our vessels - in important positions in many of South Africa's ports and in business and we are proud to have provided a foundation for their thriving careers.
A recent example is Rufus Lekala - the world's youngest Chief Harbour Master - who did his cadetship onboard Safmarine ships.
In addition to supporting maritime programme through the provision of training berths - and through other initiatives such as the Lawhill Maritime Centre (see no 1) - we have also encouraged other vessel operators to support South Africa's cadet training programme by providing bursaries and training berths and in so doing so, assist in developing skills and human capital in SA's maritime industry.
As at June 2012, there are 73 South African cadets (62 male/11 female) on Safmarine vessels.
Of these eight (8) are Transnet/TNPA cadets, 15 National (SAMSA) cadets and 50 deck and engineering cadets contracted to Maersk Line (and Safmarine) as part of our three-year cadet accelerated programme.
Between 1997 and July 2012 the total intake of South African cadets was 405 (372 male/33 female) of which 269 qualified with CoC (Certificates of competency) and 50 are currently in training.
Safmarine has also, since 2011, provided eight (8) bursaries per year to deserving Cape Peninsula University of Technology (C PUT) Maritime Studies/Marine Engineering students. These bursaries are awarded mostly to previously disadvantaged students.
3 ) The SA Maritime Training Academy (SAMTRA ) - advanced/continued training
In addition to the training berths provided on board our vessels and our support for the Lawhill programme, we have also supported the SA Maritime Training Academy (SAMTRA), which was established with a donation from the A.P Moller-Maersk Group and the AP Moller Foundation.
Below follow a few details on SAMTRA....
• SAMTRA - SA Maritime Training Academy - is Africa's first maritime simulation training academy. It is located in Simons Town and was opened, in September 2003, by former President Thabo Mbeki.
• SAMTRA trains seafarers from the merchant marine, the military, the fishing industry and harbour craft fraternity a superb opportunity to acquire advanced skills with technical training in a highly-realistic simulation environment.
• SAMTRA was provided, as a gift to the South African nation, by funds donated by the AP Moller-Maersk Group, the AP Møller Foundation, Safmarine Container Lines NV and Maersk Line. SAMTRA was established in 2003 with a seed capital of R28 million.
• SAMTRA - a not-for-profit company - supports the South African Government's skills transfer and job creation objectives by providing educational and operational simulator training for the maritime industry to international standards.
• This high-tech facility prepares Africans, particularly South Africans from disadvantaged backgrounds, with maritime training in line with the highest international standards.
• SAMTRA is located next to the Simon's Town School whose Lawhill Maritime Studies programme has been supported by Safmarine for almost two decades.
ADDITIONAL INFO
Third party Comments on the Lawhill school-based programme (referred to in number 1).
"Simon's Town's maritime studies programme is not only unique in South Africa or Africa but is also possibly the only facility of its kind in the world. It's a model for the successful partnerships that can be established in education." - Premier of the Western Cape in 2010, Helen Zille, speaking at the opening of the new Lawhill Centre in March 2010.
"Many schools do a good job of educating the youth, but few schools prepare young learners for a career. A school such as the Simons Town High Maritime Studies programme is exactly what South Africa needs considering the country's high levels of unemployment." - Sean Day, South-African born chairman of the Teekay Corporation, speaking at the opening of the new Lawhill Centre in March 2010.
"This facility would one day provide a solid job, decent pay and a bright future for talented young people from less advantaged backgrounds. The Lawhill Maritime Centre gives children from these backgrounds a safe, comfortable place to study towards a career in an industry that needs them. There is no better way to help young people than to give them an education." - Ms Susan Karlshoej, Chairlady of the TK Foundation and daughter of the founder of the Teekay Corporation, speaking at the opening of the new Lawhill Centre in March 2010.
Information provided by: Debbie Owen, Safmarine Media Manager - July 2012
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