Korea sign Pact With Pioneer University to Train and Recruit 400,000 Kenyan Maritime Professionals
A Korean institute and a Kenyan university have signed an agreement to train thousands of young people in various maritime courses.
The agreement between the Korea Institute of Maritime and Fisheries Technology (KIMFT) and Pioneer International University will result in the employment of thousands of Kenyans with maritime training in the Korean maritime industry.
Prof. Park Jinsoo, president of KIMFT, stated that they intend to train over 400,000 Kenyans in both short- and long-term programs upon signing the agreement on Saturday at the Pioneer University Murang’a branch.
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Jinsoo stated that, according to the Korean maritime industry, there is a shortage of seafarers and other maritime employees, and that the training will enable thousands of Kenyans to find employment in his country.
South Korea, with a population of over 51 million people in the recent past, has been struggling with chronic shortages of skilled employees in blue-collar jobs as most Koreans prefer white-collar jobs.
The professor remarked that there are numerous opportunities and possibilities for Kenya and Korea to collaborate in the maritime industry.
According to government statistics, the number of Korean national seafarers fell from 58,818 in 2000 to 38,758 in 2010, and then to 31,878 in 2013.
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This represents a decrease of nearly 50 percent over a period of 22 years, and Jinsoo notes that the national population of seafarers is aging, with 44 percent being 60 or older.
He stated that South Korea requires qualified labor and that through the partnership, Kenyans will be trained and assisted in obtaining employment in the Korean maritime and transportation industries.
Jinsoo observed that seafarers in Korea have a high attrition rate, as 78% of graduates from maritime colleges, universities, or vocational schools have transitioned to land-based positions within five years.
In an endeavor to address the declining number of seafarers in Korea, the government seeks to employ more than 400,000 Kenyans with maritime training. The professor added
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Jinsoo observed that South Korea was one of the world’s weakest nations in the 1970s but managed to achieve a middle-income economy by the 1990s.
This partnership will allow my country to share its experiences with the university and the Kenyan government for the benefit of the Kenyan people. He continued.
Prof. Gideon Maina, vice chancellor of Pioneer International University, stated that the partnership resulted from his visit to the Asian country last month on a blue economy benchmarking tour.
During his visit, Maina conferred with members of the Korean Ship Owners Association, which represents over 300 vessels.
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He stated, “The chairman has assured me that the association will recruit trained Kenyans for the next five years.”
Maina stated, “Our university’s campus in Murang’a has been providing a short Standards of Training, Certification, and Watch-keeping (STCW) course that is required for anyone seeking employment on a yacht or ship.”
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has approved the seven-day training program, which is administered globally and ensures a uniform training standard across all nations.
Maina disclosed that approximately ten students are graduated each week from the brief course at Pioneer International University.
As a result, the university plans to launch a Bachelor of Science in Maritime Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Maritime Transport the following year. He continued by stating.
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Dr. Peter Munga, chancellor of Pioneer International University, urged young Kenyans to seize the opportunities and break the cycle of poverty in many families, noting that the starting salary for low cadre jobs such as security guards in the maritime sector is over Sh.100,000.
He stated that he anticipates the partnership will also result in Pioneer International University becoming the only private institution in the country to offer maritime courses.
Munga added that the university is pursuing a path that no other private university in the East African region has mapped out, particularly in the training of maritime engineers.
“Pioneer University also intends to begin offering a Korean language course so that those who seek employment in the Asian nation can easily adapt.” The Chancellor noted.
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Korea sign Pact With Pioneer University to Train and Recruit 400,000 Kenyan Maritime Professionals