Bandari Maritime Academy (BMA) is seeking to strengthen its maritime capability development and training ecosystem through collaborations with global industry leaders.
BMA has held discussions with Wilhelmsen Ship Management General Manager Craig De Savoye on sea-time placements and employment opportunities for its cadets and graduates.
Wilhelmsen Ship Management is one of the world’s largest third-party ship managers, overseeing a portfolio of over 450 vessels and 13,000 active seafarers globally.
Strategically located on a scenic oceanfront, in the vibrant port city of Mombasa, the institution is Kenya’s premier center for maritime education and training.
The maritime academy has been expanding and enhancing its maritime training ecosystem through recent strategic partnerships with global shipping leaders.
Wilhelmsen Ship Management, a Norwegian multinational maritime group, runs a cadetship programme that enables cadets to gain practical experience at sea aboard the company’s vessels, with potential employment opportunities upon successful completion of the programme.
BMA has previously benefited from this programme, with its cadets and officers gaining valuable sea-time experience and exposure to the global maritime industry.
The company operates LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) and LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) carriers, tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, RO-RO (roll-on/roll-off) ships and car carriers, as well as cruise and passenger vessels. It has provided opportunities for Kenyan seafarers at various levels, including cadets, ratings, and officers.
BMA Assistant Director, Quality Assurance, Michael Njogah, commended the training programme and called for an increase in the number of sea-time placements available to BMA cadets.
He said the partnership will go a long way to equip trainees with market-ready skills and position Kenya as a competitive maritime hub and tap into global opportunities.
The BMA senior official says the partnership with Wilhelmsen Shipping Management is a milestone in advancing the quality of training for marine students.
“The partnership not only enhances employability prospects but also secures vital sea time opportunities for our cadets, which is a critical step in their professional journey,” he said.
“We request that you provide us with more slots, especially for sea time, so that our cadets can gain the experience they need and improve their chances of securing employment,” said Njogah.
He noted that sea-time experience with a world-class maritime training environment is essential for cadets to develop the practical skills required by the industry and progress towards professional certification and employment.
Njogah says BMA is strengthening partnerships aimed at strengthening capacity building, student exchange programmes, and graduate and postgraduate training opportunities.
He said the collaboration on maritime training will equip BMA cadets with the knowledge needed to address the new challenges facing the industry such as navigational safety and marine environmental protection.
The assistant director quality assurance emphasized the need to strengthen BMA’s maritime capabilities, develop a future-ready workforce and promote closer collaboration to support Kenya’s emergence as a leading regional maritime hub.
He said the BMA global partnerships play a vital role in elevating Kenyan maritime education to international standards, securing crucial sea-time training, and expanding employment opportunities for local cadets.
BMA Nautical Science Trainer Winnie Nyambu urged Wilhelmsen Ship Management to involve the Academy in the cadet selection and interview process. She said BMA’s participation would help identify qualified candidates and enhance the effectiveness of the recruitment process.
Nyambu attributed the preparedness of BMA cadets to the Academy’s Competency-Based Curriculum, which equips trainees with practical and industry-relevant skills.
She said the training opportunities with global shipping lines will turn the coast region’s maritime potential into skills, jobs and sustainable livelihoods.
De Savoye commended the competence and professionalism of Kenyan seafarers and expressed interest in strengthening collaboration with BMA in the training, development, and recruitment of maritime professionals.
He said the training will enable BMA graduates to receive training that meets the highest international standards and that their qualifications and competencies are internationally recognized.
The engagement reflects BMA’s efforts to strengthen industry partnerships and expand access to sea-time and career opportunities for its cadets and graduates in the global maritime industry.
The ongoing partnerships come as BMA seeks to modernize the maritime sector as it awaits to receive a modern training ship for seafarers, including cadets donated by the Republic of South Korea.
The BMA and Kenya Shipyards Limited (KSL) have signed a contract to deliver a training vessel donated by the Republic of South Korea to support seagoing training at the Academy in Mombasa.
The move is a significant step towards advancing the blue economy in marine research, maritime education, innovation, and capacity building.
The Bandari Maritime Academy is a well-recognised Regional Centre of Excellence in teaching, training, scholarship, innovation and research in maritime skills development.
By Hussein Abdullahi
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