TO BOOST the country’s maritime education and training, the Maritime Industry Authority has inked a partnership agreement with the Nautical Institute.

A memorandum of agreement was signed by MARINA Administrator Hernani Fabia and NI Chief Executive Officer Captain John Lloyd during the celebration of NI’s 50th founding anniversary on November 18.

Under the agreement, NI will provide the agency and maritime education institutions “academic advice and suggestions” to improve the curricula for officers on board and postgraduate curricula for shore-based maritime personnel, as well as the conduct of academic workshops to improve teaching methodology and contents of subjects.

The partnership also aims to support the professional development of seafarers by mapping out Certificate of Competence to levels of professional membership and registration up to chartered status.

“The signed memorandum also paved way for the MARINA to have access to information that will support the professional development of seafarers, counseling on accreditation of training programs to support the education of Filipino seafarers, as well as to support the recognition of seafarers through routes to registration,” the agency said in a statement.

Fabia said the partnership will allow MARINA to accelerate the achievement of a nationally-integrated and globally competitive maritime industry through maritime education, innovation, technology, and sustainability.

“We look forward to the support of maritime stakeholders, like your organization, as we push forward with policy and institutional initiatives, especially the programs in our 10-year maritime industry plan,” he said in a statement.

The NI is a non-governmental organization with consultative status at the International Maritime Organization that aims to promote professionalism, best practice and safety of the maritime industry.