13 young Seychellois seafarers join global oil shipping sector |04 November 2019

Group picture of the students at Cinec (Photo: Seypec)

Thirteen young Seychellois students returned home on Saturday after receiving their certificates on November 1, 2019, in Sri Lanka, following the completion of a nine-week specially designed pre-sea training programme at the Colombo International Nautical & Engineering College.

Three of the 13 trainees who have been presented with their certificates recorded outstanding performances and received special awards as the Seychelles Petroleum Company Limited (Seypec) continues with its comprehensive career development programme.

Julio Banane received four prizes – Excellence in Navigation and Excellence in Engineering awards, Best Student in Engine workshop and Best All-round student. Shaun Hoareau and Devis Agathine were voted Best Students for Seamanship practical.

The training at Cinec was designed to enable the students to take positions on tankers as apprentices within deck or engine. It included both theory and practical applications and it is part of a three-month syllabus were the students cover general knowledge relating to the shipping industry, engineering, navigation and extensive workshop practical modules, giving them a holistic understanding of all vessel handling skills and duties prior to specialisation.

This course, the sixth sponsored by Seypec, was offered to the students after they had completed their basic Standard Training Certification and Watch-Keeping (STCW) training at the Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA).

Seypec was represented at the ceremony at the Colombo International Nautical & Engineering College (Cinec) campus together with Cinec officials, faculty members, parents of the students and other guests. During their time at Cinec, the students followed a preparatory course in navigation and engineering designed to equip them with overall knowledge of the undertakings on board a vessel. They also followed a two-week course in tanker familiarisation at the same institution.

On their return to Seychelles, while awaiting seagoing recruitment, the students will follow an induction programme at the Seypec House which will include work placement at the Seypec New Port depot and on board MT Seychelles Paradise. Subsequently, the trainees are expected to leave for their overseas sea assignment upon their return.

Following the completion of the nine-week training in Colombo, the 13 trainees are now qualified to obtain their sea time on board the 18 vessels within the Seypec-GTS (German Tanker Shipping) fleet of tankers.

The results of the six batches of graduates of the pre-sea training programme so far reflect that the vision of Seypec for an all-Seychellois crew to man all the Seypec tankers by 2020 is fast becoming a reality. All members of the six cohorts have shown tremendous determination that justifies the investment that the national petroleum company has devoted to this project.

“The pass rate since the launch of the pre-sea programme which was supported by an elaborate recruitment process is the fittest testimony of the effectiveness of the training and the devotion of the young marine enthusiasts,” Seypec’s chief executive Conrad Benoiton said.

“We are more than ever committed to building a team of internationally trained and qualified young Seychellois mariners and the recruiting and training of cadets is part of Seypec’s comprehensive career development programme since 2014. These young seafarers will now receive a boost through international exposure on board our international tankers and will henceforth integrate a global oil shipping sector. We also very much value our strategic partnership with the Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA) for skills acquisition and deployment,” added CEO Benoiton.

The students initially left Seychelles on August 26, 2019 for the six-week pre-sea programme in Colombo.

Press release from Seypec