The Caribbean Maritime Institute, formerly called the Jamaica Maritime Institute, was established by the Governments of Jamaica and Norway, in 1980.  Its funding partners are the Port Authority of Jamaica and the Shipping Association of Jamaica.  The Institute provides professional maritime education and training to Seafarers, the Regional Shipping Industry, Coast Guards, Maritime Administrations and Allied Industries. The institute has linkages with the University of the West Indies, the University of Technology and the University Council of Jamaica, as well as close relationships with the World Maritime Institute, the British Columbia Institute of Technology and the Norwegian Shipping Academy.

The Institute has provided training to over 2,000 Jamaican and Regional seafarers to fill the Deck/Navigation and Marine/Engineering positions for Officers and Ratings on board international trading ships of all types all over the world. The courses offered to professional seafarers over the last 18 years, exceeded the requirements of the International Maritime Organizations’ Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping 1978 (STCW-78). The Institute has now met the new Quality Standards and requirements of the revised STCW Convention 1995, which came into effect February 1, 1997. The CMI has completed the upgrading of its curriculum as required under the Convention, which was subsequently sent to the IMO in July 1998 for final approval and “White Listing”.

The aim of the Caribbean Maritime Institute is to be the leading Institution in the Caribbean devoted to the development of the maritime and allied industries both locally and regionally by the provision of quality Maritime education and training.  To be reflective of this goal, and to acknowledge the support and recognition received from the region, the Institute was renamed on September 25, 2001.