Expansion of maritime training receives support from industry

SAMTRA engages with industry on plans

SOUTH AFRICA: Presenting ambitious plans to bolster their maritime training output to the industry, the South African Maritime Training Academy (SAMTRA) provided details relating to the expansion of their current facilities as well as their intention to work closely with the Department of Higher Education and the maritime education and training sector as a whole.

Demonstrating a track record as one of South Africa’s maritime success stories, SAMTRA has built up strong partnerships over the last 21 years to deliver an evolving framework of maritime courses.

Welcoming industry to the consultative session held in Cape Town on Wednesday, CEO of SAMTRA, Ivan Heesom-Green noted that the majority of their graduates have found employment at sea and that, running as a not-for-profit organisation (NPO), are committed to reinvesting in their training facilities.

“We are a financially stable NPO with revenue that exceeds costs,” he said alluding to the fact that some of the investment needed for the planned expansion could be self-funded.

Noting the steady student growth, Heesom-Green says that this has been mostly organic and that current trends in the crewing market support ambitions to grow the South African as well as African seafarer pool.

“Africa is becoming a good source for crew,” he said explaining how the impact of COVID-19 as well as the volatility in Eastern Europe and the Middle East have prompted the international shipping sector to diversify crew sourcing destinations.

SAMTRA and SAIMI recently signed a Cadet Training Partnership Agreement with the International Maritime Employers Council (IMEC), which is seen as a major industry milestone. According to Heesom-Green, this initiative boasts high potential for South African Cadets and Seafarers, but it requires scale.

SAMTRA also caters for the growing interest from South Africans to join the superyacht sector by offering MCA accredited courses. Heesom-Green confirms that this has become an important source of potential employment, and that South Africa is already a leading source of crew for the sector, supplying up to 15% of the global superyacht workforce.

“We offer cradle to competent service for the maritime education and training of African seafarers,” he added highlighting the range of courses, and accreditations as well as the extent of their facilities in Simon’s Town.

With a focus on putting the needs of their clients first, SAMTRA has also developed working relationships with other training providers to ensure that students have access to any required courses that are not offered onsite.

“We are part of the integrated maritime education and training establishment in the Western Cape and the country,” he said.

Planning for the future

Keen to capitalise on their successes, SAMTRA is aiming to build on its maritime training legacy by expanding its facilities as well as course offerings.

“We believe that the current growth is sustainable and that our present expansion options have been exhausted within the infrastructure,” he said introducing the blueprint for the construction of a new building adjacent to existing premises.

The proposed new two-storey building will incorporate at least eight new larger classrooms, office space, a meeting room, library and laboratories. The second floor will be built to provide onsite accommodation for students and plans for a training pool are also included for water-based learning.

With an estimated R50 million price tag, Heesom-Green says that this represents a low-cost modular design that could be financed through donor funding, their own balance sheet and structured industry loans.

Providing comprehensive rationale for each of the planned additions, which he hopes to see break ground by 2026, he also intimated that alternative options could be considered should the full funding not become available.

Halfway through their 40 years lease, however, he emphasised the need to renegotiate the terms for at least another 40 years before such an investment could be realistically endorsed by the SAMTRA Board. Talks with the Western Cape Government and the Department of Education are in the pipeline to formalise this.

Industry input

Opening the floor to interested stakeholders who had responded to SAMTRA’s call to participate in the consultative workshop, participants mostly commended the team on their plans to expand their commitment to maritime education and training.

While some industry voices pointed to the potential to include more for the fishing industry as well as the option to look at courses for non-ratings, Commercial Manager at SAMTRA, Pieter Coetzer, noted the need to first focus on the sectors that had proven to be sustainable to their present success.

Coetzer stressed that industry support for the project and Officer of the Watch academic programs are critical. “We need high occupancy to keep these sustainable as there are no subsidies like one would have at a University of Technology.”

“We can’t be everything to everybody,” he said, explaining that it would be difficult to diversify too far from their current path.

“We would encourage and accept this proposal to help the country play a bigger role in international shipping. This type of centre would strengthen our training system and, as such, would be welcomed.”

Speaking from the audience, Odwa Mtati, CEO of the South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI) applauded the initiative. “We would encourage and accept this proposal to help the country play a bigger role in international shipping. This type of centre would strengthen our training system and, as such, would be welcomed,” he said congratulating SAMTRA’s team for reading the mood of the industry.

Together Heesom-Green and Coetzer were able to field questions relating to funding, the availability of lecturers, fees, courses and bureaucratic challenges.

Wrapping up the session, Chairman of the SAMTRA Board, Paul Maclons thanked the industry for its input describing the moment as a positive milestone.

“We are excited about these new developments and welcome further input. We hope that you will walk with us to make this a reality and create an impact on maritime training,” he said.

PHOTO: Pieter Coetzer of SAMTRA shares plans for the expansion of their Simon’s Town facilities with industry stakeholders.