Seychelles Petroleum Company - 12 seafarers graduate |25 November 2017

The fourth cohort of Seychellois cadets from the Seychelles Petroleum Company (Seypec) have returned to Seychelles after completing a four- month pre-sea training at the Colombo International Nautical & Engineering College (Cinec), Sri Lanka.

The 12 young cadets received their certificates during a graduation ceremony held at the college on November 17, 2017.

Cadet Damien Agathine was the best overall student.

During the graduation at Cinec, four cadets received special awards for outstanding performances. Damien Agathine received the best all round student award and the award for excellence in Engineering. Brad Andre received the award for excellence in Seamanship while Elvin Bristol won the award for excellence in Navigation.

The excellence in engineering workshop award went to Anthony Barbier.

The 12 cadets received their certificates in the presence of Seypec’s crew manager Alain Asba and manager projects and special duties Sharon Pool, Cinec officials, faculty members and their parents.

Their excellence awards were presented to them by the chief executive of Seypec Conrad Benoiton during a welcome and induction ceremony yesterday at the Seypec House.

Other students who graduated are Damien Belmont, Anil Bacco, George Larue, Medlyn Esparon, Hazel Rose, Sheryl Alphonse, Rasheid Laure and Ted Assary.

Apart from doing class work, the cadets did physical training in life saving, operating of life boats, fire fighting, manoeuvering of boats and familiarisation onboard vessels etc...

They also visited the Sri Lankan port and shipping yard.

The R4 million insight navigation and engineering course at Cinec, sponsored by Seypec, was designed to equip the cadets with an overall knowledge of the undertakings onboard a tanker.

The course was offered to them after they had completed their basic STCE training at the Seychelles Maritime Academy.  

The 12 cadets will now work at the Seypec New Port Depot and onboard MT Seychelles Paradise before leaving by mid-December 2017 for overseas assignments on other Seypec tankers.

Also present at the welcoming and induction ceremony were the director of the Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA) Taraka Telwatta, the assistant director of the Seychelles Maritime & Safety Administration (SMSA) Richard Ernesta, Seypec staff and parents.

“The 100% pass rate since the launch of the pre-sea programme which is supported by an effective and elaborated recruitment process, is the fittest testimony of the effectiveness of the training and the devotion of the young marine enthusiasts,” CEO Benoiton said.

“The laudable performance of the cadets up to now confirms that they have enough practical skills. Seypec is ready to finance many of these young cadets for an officer career in engineering and navigation. This is our genuine pledge for the advancement of the young Seychellois as professional and successful mariners,” he added.

Noting that Seychelles invested more than R4 million in the young cadets’ marine course at Cinec, he urged the cadets to give their best in their work and aim to climb up the ladder as he does not want them to fail themselves, their parents and the Seypec staff who have invested in them.

Mr Benoiton later said that with the company’s winding up of its tanker’s loan, this has strengthened the company’s investment towards the future which will include the training of more cadets to fill positions on its fleet of six tankers as the company’s vision is to have 100% Seychellois on all its tankers in the coming years.

He added that Seypec hopes to launch its first all Seychellois crew on one of its tankers by 2020.

Mr Benoiton also noted that by next year, training for the next cohort will be held mostly at the SMA as it is well equipped now with residential facilities to run the programme with only a one month training at Cinec.

Seypec also launched a new medical scheme which caters for local or overseas medical care, paid for by Seypec, for beneficiaries of tankers workers.

During the induction, second officer Joel Renaud who is doing his captain course in England and started with Seypec in 2006 onboard Seychelles Paradise and Mick Joubert, a first cohort able seafarer on board Seychelles Pioneer, gave the cadets an overview of their career paths, career opportunities and life onboard a tanker. 

Best overall cadet Damien Agathine said the award was a great self accomplishment for he concentrated well both in class and outside in all he did.  

“The course was of high level which demanded a lot of concentration and this award represents a start in my career as there will be more steps to go and this motivates me further,” he said.

One of the three ladies, Hazel Rose, said: “It was a great experience. We managed to live that long without our parents, with great responsibility and I am looking forward for the next step.”

A total of 63 cadets have gone through the programme since it was launched in 2014.

Seypec has six tankers in its fleet: Seychelles Pride, Seychelles Pioneer, Seychelles Progress, Seychelles Prelude, Seychelles Patriot and Seychelles Paradise.

The photo on our front page show the 12 young cadets in a souvenir photograph on the day they graduated in Sri Lanka.