Maritime Education and Training (MET) in the European Union: How Can Maritime Administrations Support MET.

Malek Pourzanjani, Jens-Uwe Schröder, Emeritus Prof. Günther Zade

World Maritime University

M. Pourzanjani

J.U. Schröder

G. Zade

Abstract

Various studies and industrial indicators presented in recent years have shown that the European Union member States, and in particular the Northern European countries have not been training enough seafarers to support the EU flag ships. What is more alarming is that most allied services such pilotage, ports, insurance etc., are experiencing an acute shortage of qualified staff with seagoing background.

European Commission has indicated its concern over the issue of Human Resource in Shipping through funding of various research and development programmes. These included METHAR under the 4th framework programme and METNET under the current 5th framework programme.

This paper will give an overview of the thematic network “METNET” which is in its final year of operation, outlining the programme objectives and how these have been achieved through working with “reference groups” which include MET institutions, shipping associations, maritime administrations, trade unions, etc. The impact that Maritime Administrations have on MET, and measures that they can take in order to improve the situation is the focal point of this paper.