Maritime education and training system require a change to make a competent seafarer for shipping industry. A case study from an International Maritime institute

The success of the world's shipping industry ultimately depends on one special group ofpeople: seafarers. These men and women have led humankind in the discovery of the worldand changed the global economy. Today, the role of seafarers on board ships has greaterimportance than ever before and will continue to be key in the coming years. Without motivated,qualified and trained seafarers, the international shipping industry will not thrive. Maritimeeducation and training (MET) is therefore crucial for all parts of the world's maritimecommunity, and particularly for the seafarers of today and tomorrow, as it is the basis of asecure, safe shipping industry. Effective MET for seafarers at various levels provides themwith proof of their competence in the particular skills and duties they need to perform on board.However, the effectiveness of MET varies widely, such that having a certificate does notguarantee a seafarer's competency - as demonstrated by the many maritime accidents thatcontinue to occur as a result of human error. Competency must therefore include knowledgeand skills, and more importantly, their application in the workplace. This study explores theeffectiveness of current MET in developing competency among seafarers. This is achieved byexamining and comparing data gathered from interviews with participants with seagoingexperience on a competency development course at an international maritime training institutein Australia. The findings of this research show that the participants need more practical studiesin their STCW competence development course and different approaches in teaching them.The study concludes by providing a summary of changes to MET on competence developmentssuggested by the participant interviewees. The findings highlight the importance of teachingpractical skills and applying relevant teaching methods to allow seafarers to become competentin the skills they will require in real-life situations. Furthermore, they may serve as an incentivefor MET institutions to improve their course content and delivery, as well as for researchers tocontinue studying this subject further