Seaways - December 2022
Golden Jubilee events continue to dominate our engagement with the maritime community as the year progresses. We have been able to deliver conferences and seminars tailored to the specific needs of the local community.
Cadet to CMM – the NI at every stage of your career
This was evident most recently with our event hosted in Manila where the Branch organised an event that engaged in a valuable discussion about the future of maritime leadership and development.
Part of our own leadership position is to engage and support national maritime administrations in their activities, so it was very pleasing to be able to renew our Memorandum of Understanding with MARINA, the Maritime Industry Authority of the Philippines in a formal signing authority. This MOU provides the pathway for sharing the experience within our own organisation in areas such as training, assessment, quality control and auditing. We look forward to supporting the work of continuous improvement in this very important maritime nation.
Free cadet membership!
One of the underpinning values of The Nautical Institute is our commitmeant to life-long learning and continuing professional development. Supporting mariners in the early stages of their career and helping them foster a positive mindset to learning within a supportive environment is key to success in this area.
I am especially pleased that after some careful development work we are now able to offer membership to Officer Cadets undertaking their initial training completely free of charge. We value the opportunity of providing a global network of learners who can support each other and be supported by The Nautical Institute from an early stage.
It also provides the opportunity for more senior members to learn more about the hopes and expectations of the next generation of maritime leaders so we can best support their development.
Learn more on our website here: https://www.nautinst.org/membership.html
Chartered Master Mariner
For more experienced mariners, we are pleased to continue our work with the Honourable Company of Master Mariners through our administration of the Chartered Master Mariner programme.
Chartership presents a goal for experienced Master Mariners by recognising the individual endeavour of those who have benefited our industry and improved their own professional capability. It is a mark of excellence that evidences personal eminence and expertise, superior competence and peer-recognised qualities.
Details of the scheme and some reflective quotes from our own senior members can be found on our website at: https://www.nautinst.org/ni-academy/self-study-scheme/chartered-master-mariner.html
Heroic Idun
Once again, the shadow of the criminalisation of seafarers is descending on some of our colleagues in the case of the Heroic Idun in West Africa, where the crew have been pushed to the centre of a dispute regarding ownership of the cargo on board. We are very concerned about the welfare of those on board including one of our own members. We have been watching developments closely and have made representations to help establish the emerging facts, clarify options with regards to legal assistance, and determine how else The Nautical Institute may be able to contribute quickly and effectively to the safe release of the vessel and its crew.
We shall continue to monitor the situation closely, and act accordingly in support of our members and the wider maritime community and send our message of support to those on board while calling for them to be treated fairly and honourably.
Changing roles
Finally, as we draw to the end of the year I am able to share with you that Waheed Din, who has shepherded and guided our finances for over 20 years is finally approaching retirement. During this period Waheed has seen the organisation grow significantly and his careful attention to detail with both finances and IT has been a key component of our success. We wish him every happiness and a long and healthy retirement. And we welcome Kedir Mohammed who joins us as the new Director of Finance and look forward to working with him in the coming months and years.