New skilled trainees in maritime receive certificate |18 March 2023

The trainees in a souvenir photograph with guests

Ten (10) young job seekers who followed the Employment department's re-skilling and up-skilling programme in collaboration with the Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA), have received their certificate after successfully completing the six-week training.

The group followed the Non-STCW Safety course (Standard for Training Certification and Watch-keeping), basic net mending/net assembling, basic navigation and seamanship, and basic hand line fishing techniques practice. It was the second batch to follow the course and nine out of the ten participants received their certificate from the Minister for Employment and Social Affairs, Patricia Francourt, during a short ceremony at the SMA yesterday afternoon.

They are Angelo Youpa, Joash Agricole, Dorina Henriette, Brendon Thelermont, Stephen Croisee, Juvin Benoit, Kevin Renaud, Loick Appiah and Mikael Marcelin. Gareth Harriba was absent.

When addressing the participants, Minister Francourt congratulated them for choosing a career in maritime and said that as the minister responsible for employment, she was proud to see another group of young people join a field which was in demand.

“I am proud because we are getting ten skilled participants who are joining a field that is in demand, a sector that I have heard, takes care of you, the work is there and the money is there also,” she said.

Minister Francourt also commended the young trained participants for their commitment, devotion, discipline, positive attitude, willingness to work and genuine interest shown during the course and urged them to maintain the same approach when joining their new workplaces.

She told them the amount of effort they put into their job will yield equal returns.

The skilled workers, who were doing casual work, are now expected to go into permanent employment, which Minister Francourt said means stability for them.

“My message to you is to enter and stay in the field you have chosen, that you like. There will be challenges but do not let these scare you or deter you from your goal. Do not give up,” she advised.

Minister Francourt also urged them to make use of the resources available and to be innovative, and not to hesitate to seek support from others in the sector, when in need.

The same calls were made by the head of the SMA, Captain Prasanna Sedrick, who also congratulated the participants for their hard work and interest.

He also said effective next year, those following the apprenticeship programme will be able to do the international STCW safety courses, instead of the local one, as they had the potential to do so.  Captain Sedrick said this will allow them to work onboard any international vessels. The Seychelles Maritime Academy has a maximum 60 slots for the apprenticeship programme.

“In order to do that we have to make sure the curriculum for apprenticeship is changed to include the e international STCW safety course. They have the ability and the capacity, the only thing is that we have to change the curriculum,” he told Seychelles NATION.

The only female candidate in the group is 22-year-old Dorina Henriette from Praslin, who is a trained waitress but who decided to follow the re-skilling programme in maritime, as she loves nature and the outdoors.

“I am really happy that we finally did the course, although we had to wait for a while. I would now like to work with the Cat Cocos ferry to gain more knowledge and skills and eventually I would like to go international,” she said.
24-year-old Kevin Renaud is a mechanic and did the up-skilling course. He also said his passion for nature pushed him to seek a career in the maritime field. The young man, who said he enjoyed all aspects of the training, including how to plot a map, how to assemble and mend nets and even catch fish, now plans to join a new company specialising in purse seiners, where he hopes to gain more skills and eventually his international certificate.

“In two years’ time, I want to get my license as a skipper and eventually have my own business in the maritime sector,” said Kevin.

During yesterday’s ceremony the participants also received certificates for Personal Safety and Social Responsibility, as well as Personal survival techniques presented by the chief executive of the Seychelles Fishing Authority, Philippe Michaud and certificates for training in Elementary first aid and Firefighting and fire prevention from principal secretary for Employment, Veronique Bresson.

Patsy Canaya

Photos by Joena Meme