Sixty (60) seafaring graduates from the Regional Maritime University (RMU) have officially been recruited by Danaos Shipping Company Limited, operators of one of the world’s largest independent fleets of containerships.
Of these graduates, 40 cadets are already onboard, while the remaining 20 are poised to join the prestigious shipping company’s crew in the coming days.
This development was revealed in Accra on Wednesday, December 18, by Mr. Christos Silakoumas, Crew Director at Danaos Shipping, during a courtesy visit to reaffirm their fruitful collaboration with RMU, a partnership that was established two years ago.
The meeting aimed not only to celebrate the success of the existing relationship but also to explore future opportunities to enhance maritime education and training for RMU cadets.
Mr. Silakoumas, leading the Danaos delegation, expressed the company’s unwavering commitment to fulfilling its obligations to the RMU cadets, given the strength of their partnership.
“We assure you that as long as the cadets continue to perform at a high standard, Danaos,with over 82 vessels and expansion initiatives, would continue to recruit more RMU students and provide them with pathways(including our Junior Officers Programme)to progress to higher ranks within the company,” he stated.
He however noted that Marine Electricians or Electric Technical Officers(ETOs) were the most in-demand role in the sector, and any country capable of training and certifying these professionals ‘wins the jackpot.’
In response, the Ag. Vice Chancellor of the RMU, Dr Jethro W. Brooks Jr assured the delegation that the university has received approval from the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) to begin the ETO programme early next year, aimed at addressing this critical gap and supplying the industry with skilled professionals.
He further expressed sincere gratitude to the Danaos team for their support and continued collaboration.
He acknowledged that the incoming Ghanaian government is committed to increasing the number of seafaring graduates, and RMU is actively working towards this goal.
“I would like to encourage Danaos to include female cadets in their crew, supporting the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) goal of increasing female participation in the maritime sector,” he stated.
He also asked Danaos to consider creating pathways for lecturers to gain firsthand experience onboard their vessels which would ultimately benefit the students, further enhancing the quality of maritime education.
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