Graduates at the Caribbean Maritime Institute listen intently at the graduation ceremony held in Kingston recently.
The Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI), the Region’s centre of excellence for tertiary maritime education, training, research and consultancy, recently held its 29th annual graduation exercise at the Jamaica Conference Centre inKingston. Over 150 students graduated from marine, technical and academic disciplines, including logistics, shipping and industrial engineering.
Speaking at the Ceremony, minister of Transport and Works, the Hon. Mike Henry, congratulated the Institute on yet another milestone, and assured that the demand for qualified and skilled seafarers is increasing. He noted thatspecialization in areas of production and consequent increase in international trade are combining to mushroom global transportation, which is boosting shipping in many areas, despite the short-term impact of the ongoing global economic recession. Minister Henry lauded the graduates on completion of their course of study, and charged them to strive to contribute to the continued growth of the maritime sector in Jamaica and across the world.
“In bringing greeting to the Institute today, I do so with the greatest of respect for the fraternity, the institution having been one of my earliest stops on assuming the position of Minister of Transport and Works. Very importantly, that connection has not been slackened since, and just like how I am focused on growing the enrollment to about 3,000 in the next couple of years, inclusive of distance learning, so too should each student focus on becoming the best seafarer you can from your training here at the CMI.”
The Institute has witnessed tremendous growth in enrolment over the years, and currently boasts approximately 1000 students, compared to the 300 students on board a few years ago. Additionally, with Jamaica on the verge of commissioning the mega Falmouth Cruise Ship Pier into operation to accommodate the world’s largest cruise liner, the Genesis of the Seas, as of next year, the local and international demand for skilled workers has seen consistent increases in interest for specialized areas of study at the Institute, which accommodates students from all across the region.
However, in support of the continued development of the Institute, Minister Henry said that plans are underway to provide transportation support to the student population.
‘I have sought the assistance of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) to help cushion the public transportation cost for the student population. Based on an amendment to the Transport Authority Act, all students up to age 20 years with school identifications and wearing uniforms are now entitled to pay the concessionary fare of $20 on the JUTC’s regular bus service, as the CMI, being the only training institution within the ambit of the Ministry of Transport and Works, does deserve some special consideration.”
The CMI is the only tertiary institution across the Caribbean that guarantees a one hundred percent employment placement upon graduation.