MTC now managed by a board |21 February 2014

The Maritime Training Centre (STC) now falls under the responsibility of a management board chaired by Conrad Benoiton.

The role of the board will be to provide strategic leadership and direction to the MTC.

This was announced by the Minister for Education MacSuzy Mondon during the board’s first meeting which was held yesterday afternoon at the Ministry of Education.

Minister Mondon explained that the creation of the Board of Management of the Maritime Training Centre comes as a result of a three-year agreement signed in August last year between the Ministry of Education and the Colombo International Nautical and Engineering College (Cinec), under which the Sri Lankan institution will provide support and direction to the MTC.
The agreement also makes provision for the creation of a management board.

The  president of Cinec, professor captain Aijith Peiris and his vice-president professor and captain Nalaka Jayakody, who are both also members of the board, were also present at yesterday’s meeting.

The partnership between the MTC and Cinec was initiated during President James Michel’s visit to Sri Lanka last year, when the latter explored the possibility of a partnership between the two establishments.
 
As part of the partnership, the MTC is expected to benefit from new courses and training programmes, recognition of qualifications it offers, the setting up of a Quality Management System (QMS), students’ exchange programmes and the availability of qualified lecturers from Sri Lanka.

A Sri Lankan, Captain Ranjith Perera has already been named the centre’s new director.

Minister Mondon has commented that the MTC has an important role to play, at a time when Seychelles is playing a leading role in advancing the blue economy concept and the potential of a well developed maritime sector.

She has described the establishment of the board as a historic development, not only for the training and development for the diverse areas of the maritime sector, but also in the development of technical education in Seychelles.

The minister is also hopeful that under the new management, the MTC will act as catalyst for other vocational sectors and will be used as a model for other post-secondary as well as maritime institutions in the region.

The board’s chairman, Mr Benoiton, has said that the establishment of the partnership with Cinec will permit the country to save millions of rupees which would otherwise go into international training.

Added to that, the college will also be helping other maritime organisations with staff training and ISO certification.

The other members of the MTC board of management are Selby Dora, Brian Hoareau, Finley Racombo, Captain Joachim Valmont, Lieutenant Colonel Georges Adeline and Beatty Hoareau.