Papua New Guinea's new sea training school contributes to maritime shipping industry

By REGINALD RENAGI, DMS, OBE, psc, jssc (Rtd.)

 

Serving the maritime industry of PNG

For the first in many years, Papua New Guinea now has a new sea training school aimed at filling an important gap in the maritime industry.

 It’s a small start at this stage but the country’s first private sea training school - Pacific Maritime Training College (PMTC) - is managed by former professional mariners having a strong passionate vision of training educated men and women as skilled seafarer deck ratings to serve our maritime shipping industry.

The management of the school firmly believes the initial training provided now will support our growing shipping business by the provision of skilled seafarers graduating from the school.

The school believes in learning through application and requires its seafarer trainees (students) to learn and fully apply what they learn in the classroom at sea in whatever capacities they may be employed in future.

PMTC puts special emphasis on ship safety aspects as it considers this to be of paramount importance.

 The course materials are designed in a way that specifically instills in students general personal safety responsibility, discipline and social responsibility as seafarers.

The school’s complementary mission is to provide lifelong career learning skills opportunity for those serving in PNG’s maritime shipping industry.

 In so doing, our graduates will serve our country and further promotes PNG’s maritime interests within the region and globally.

National recognition

PMTC is recognised as a national undergraduate and graduate education sea training school.  Founded and recognised in 2009 by the National Training Council (NTC Approval Number # 181) and the National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA).

 It is located in Konedobu, National Capital District, Port Moresby. 

One of the few schools in PNG, PMTC offers a complete line of training programmes that are specifically designed to help mariners advance from ordinary seafarer to bosun or assistant engineer, working onboard vessels of unlimited tonnage trading in PNG coastal waters.

Maritime courses

The following is a complete listing of PMTC programs that will lead to a specific qualification or endorsement:

• Basic Seamanship course for General Purpose (Deck and Engine). 
• Additional training may be required, including the completion of Basic Safety Training (BST). 

• On completion of the above-referenced minimum standards will permit graduating trainees to work in an entry-level position (General Purpose) as an Ordinary Seaman (deck hand rating), or engine hand rating.

• Ratings Forming part of a Navigational and Engine Watch course;
• Able-Bodied Seafarer course;
• Assistant Engineer course; and
• Bosun/Coxswain course.

Creating a positive-learning environment

PMTC director of training and master trainer, Reginald Renagi (OBE), who works under the college principal (a former merchant shipping master mariner, executive of the National Maritime College and National Maritime Safety Authority) has since last year been working hard with his training team to create a positive learning environment for new trainees enrolling to do courses each month. 

Renagi sees a very big future in the country’s first private maritime training provider and is very excited about including other intermediate and advanced maritime course within the next 12 to 24 months.  

As master trainer, he sees what the new school is offering to meet a very-important development requirement for this country by producing deck-rating seamen for its growing shipping business. 

This industry is going to grow very rapidly with the country desperately needing properly-trained skilled seafarers. 

The trained seaman will initially work on commercial coastal vessels, with many eventually going on to serve onboard foreign-flag vessels working in international ports. 

Reginald Renagi is serious about assisting the government meet this urgent demand for trained seaman and the PMTC is the perfect vehicle now being designed for this important industry development requirement. 

The director said the school opened in 2009 and presently conducts general purpose deck ratings basic seamanship training courses graduating some eighty seafarers within eight months of opening it doors to the public. 

Many of the students passing through the school have since found seafaring jobs onboard vessels putting to good use the training they received at PMTC.

The school is currently conducting its third training course for this year with more new course being designed by Reginald Renagi and his training team of former mariners.

The present seamanship course is of four weeks duration.

 On completion, three certificates are issued to trainees.

These certificates are: Basic Seamanship and a Safety at Sea Programmes including a General Purpose Rating (an NMSA approved certificate) for PNG Coastal Area of operations. 

All PMTC courses are conducted in accordance with professional requirements of the “Merchant Shipping Act” (STCW Convention) Regulations.

The courses involve both classroom and outdoor practical/demonstration sessions with external training service providers as required.  

In future, the PMTC plans to have onboard professional trainers from recognised international maritime schools to conduct specially designed professional short course programs at the school.

Crewing agency

Currently, plans are underway now to work closely together with Pacific Marine Crewing Agency to do job placements not only for seaman graduates from the school, but also with other seafarers seeking shipboard employment opportunities, but do not know how to go about it. 

Reginald Renagi said business is booming in PNG, especially now with the LNG project and the need for more seamen will only increase with time. 

The expanding shipping business and other commerce activities in PNG’s petroleum and mineral sectors of our economy will see that many vessels will want to employ trained seafarers to work in both coastal, and overseas trading vessels – and PMTC will be there to meet their needs now and in future.

External service providers

Director Renagi said the PMTC has already drawn up memorandum of agreements (MOA) with external service providers like PNG Fire Service, National Fisheries Authority and National Fisheries College.

 It is having discussions with interested stakeholders like PNG Customs Services, PNGDF, RPNGC, NTC, NMSA, Department of Transport and PNG Ports authorities to mention a few. 

PMTC further plans to soon conduct customs operations-related courses as well as port facility security courses. 

On this, the former Royal Australian Navy trained and senior defence force operational and executive manager is very confident the PMTC is here for the long haul with it long-term vision and mission of training and providing skilled seafarers for the PNG maritime industry. 

This will in future also have a big impact in the Pacific region’s shipping industry.

The PMTC is currently self-funded but the former navy man and master trainer believes with the right approach he is very confident the government will see it in their direct interest to support the country’s new sea training school’s vision to provide trained seafarers required for PNG’s shipping business, and help grow a strong economy.

 The sky is the limit and the PMTC plans to expand by running more relevant industry-related courses as well as increasing its trainer staff within the next 24 months.