The Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI), the Region’s centre
of excellence for tertiary maritime education, training, research and
consultancy, recently held its 29th annual graduation exercise at the
Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston.
Over 150 students graduated from marine, technical and academic disciplines,
including logistics, shipping and industrial engineering.
Speaking at
the Ceremony, minister of Transport and Works, the Hon. Mike Henry,
congratulated the Institute on yet another milestone, and assured that the
demand for qualified and skilled seafarers is increasing. He noted that
specialization in areas of production and consequent increase
in international trade are combining to mushroom global transportation, which is
boosting shipping in many areas, despite the short-term impact of the ongoing
global economic recession.
Minister Henry lauded the graduates on completion of their course of study,
and charged them to strive to contribute to the continued growth of the maritime
sector in Jamaica and across the world.
“In bringing greeting to the Institute today, I do so with the
greatest of respect for the fraternity, the institution having been one of my
earliest stops on assuming the position of Minister of Transport and Works. Very
importantly, that connection has not been slackened since, and just like how I
am focused on growing the enrollment to about 3,000 in the next couple of years,
inclusive of distance learning, so too should each student focus on becoming the
best seafarer you can from your training here at the CMI.”
The
Institute has witnessed tremendous growth in enrolment over the years, and
currently boasts approximately 1000 students, compared to the 300 students on
board a few years ago. Additionally, with Jamaica on
the verge of commissioning the mega Falmouth Cruise Ship Pier into operation to
accommodate the world’s largest cruise liner, the
Genesis of the Seas, as of next year,
the local and international demand for skilled workers has seen consistent
increases in interest for specialized areas of study at the Institute, which
accommodates students from all across the region.
However, in
support of the continued development of the Institute, Minister Henry said that
plans are underway to provide transportation support to the student population.
‘I have sought the assistance of the
Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC)
to help cushion the public transportation cost for the student population. Based
on an amendment to the Transport Authority Act, all students up to age 20 years
with school identifications and wearing uniforms are now entitled to pay the
concessionary fare of $20 on the JUTC’s regular bus service, as the CMI, being
the only training institution within the ambit of the Ministry of Transport and
Works, does deserve some special consideration.”
The CMI is
the only tertiary institution across the Caribbean
that guarantees a one hundred percent employment placement upon graduation.