European Maritime Post Graduate Programmes For Former Seafarers.

Annual General Assembly 2005 - Malmö

Section 3

European Maritime Post Graduate Programmes For Former Seafarers.

Clement KETCHUM, Malek POURZANJANI
World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden

ABSTRACT

While today many national maritime education and training systems offer opportunities for students to qualify also for a career in the maritime sector ashore, following their sea experience, there is a need for furthering this trend and organising it at European level. It is believed that such a move would also help to promote the seafaring profession and maritime education. Under the European Commission Sixth Framework Programme, Maritime Transportation Coordination Platform, a study was commissioned in 2004 to survey Master's Level Post Graduate Programmes that are currently available to former seafarers leading to increased employment opportunities in the maritime sector ashore. In addition, the study proposed a common framework for a flexible European Masters Programme leading to the main sectors of the maritime industry.

This paper discusses the findings of this study that include an examination of hip to shore career paths and the current maritime job market ashore. In examining the currently available MSc programmes, criteria are discussed for the inclusion of programmes in a proposed European Commission website that would serve as an online catalogue to make the information more readily available to seafarers. Finally, the common framework for a new European MSc Programme is detailed including programme structure, mode of delivery, subject content and quality standards.

Keywords: European Commission, Seafarer, Master’s Programme, Maritime Jobs Ashore.