The Minister with responsibility for the University and for the Port, Gilbert Licudi, met last week with Kathryn Neilson, a director of the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB).

The meeting was part of the preparations for the courses on maritime training to be offered by the Gibraltar Maritime Academy at the University of Gibraltar. Also present at the meeting were representatives of the University, the Gibraltar Maritime Administration and the Gibraltar Port Authority as well as Gary Hindmarch, a maritime education consultant.

The MNTB is the shipping industry’s central body for promoting and developing seafarer education, training and skills. Ms Neilson was in Gibraltar for two days of meetings with the University and Gibraltar’s maritime authorities. This has included a tour of the University’s facilities and the new Gibraltar Port Authority offices.

The Gibraltar Maritime Academy, which is part of the University of Gibraltar, will be offering, as from September 2020, four maritime degrees together with the associated officer cadet training leading to maritime engineer or deck officer qualifications. All programmes will meet the standards set in regulations established by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as contained in the Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).

Mr Licudi said: “Gibraltar is the ideal location for major shipping companies to look to for their training needs. Our historical links with the maritime industry, our proximity to major shipping lanes, our excellent reputation in the shipping world and the fact that we now have a University and student accommodation all make Gibraltar an obvious choice for maritime training.

“This is an area which will be unaffected by Brexit. It is therefore important to develop the Gibraltar Maritime Academy as Gibraltar positions itself to face a post-Brexit scenario.

“We are very happy to be working with the MNTB on this. Their experience and expertise on setting standards in education and training for the maritime industry is well recognised and will be invaluable to the success of this project.”