A scheduled interview for youths seeking to be seafarers has excited hundreds of job seekers in Mombasa county and other coastal counties.
The offices of Seafarers Union of Kenya (SUK) in Ganjoni in Mombasa are a beehive of activity since Friday as potential candicates for the seafaring jobs jostle for a chance to participate in the interview scheduled for Wednesday.
Officials from the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) are scheduled to fly into Mombasa today (Monday) in readiness for the interviews.
MSC has signed an agreement with Government to provide employment to thousands of jobless youths.
The shipping line which owns a big fleet of cargo and cruise ships is set to recruit Kenyan youths aged between 18 and 30 years to work in the hospitality sector.
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A list provided by the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) indicated that there are five licensed seafarers recruiting agencies.
They are MSC ship management limited, Mombasa ocean agency, Alpha logistics, Diverse shipping limited and East Africa Deepsea fishing limited.
In a public notice seen by the Standard yesterday, KMA director general Major (rtd) George Okong’o said the interview would see the upgrading of the record of Kenyan seafarers.
“On 28th May 2019, KMA will be conducting a routine review and update of its database on all Kenyans from the hospitality sector who are certified and ready to work as seafarers,” Okong’o explained.
He said all Kenyans with degrees and diplomas in hospitality management, cruise shipping training or any other hospitality related training such laundry, housekeeping, bartender, food handling would be interviewed.
He said one of the authority’s key function is to establish a framework for human resource development in the maritime sector, which involves preparation of the national plans for seafarers training, certification, employment and welfare.
The job seekers would be required to have valid Kenyan passports, certificates of good conduct, valid seafarers medical certificate, valid STCW (Standard of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping, yellow fever vaccination certificate and a copy of the national identity cards.
KMA chairman Mr Geofrey Mwango said MSC and many other shipping companies and manning agents have turned focus on East Africa particularly Kenya because maritime labour in Europe and Asian has become costly for shipowners.
“We will be conducting many more interviews for seafarers including those to be deployed on cruise ships because focus is on Kenya for affordable labour. We are also lack because ours is an English speaking country which is the language of seafarers,” Mwango said.
Suk national chairman Daudi Hajj confirmed KMA has been facilitation them mobilise youths for the interviews.
“We have been busy mobilizing youths across the country for the interviews to be conducted by officials from MSC. We are working closely with KMA to ensure the exercise is a success,” he said.
