Factors Related to The Maritime Pre-Apprenticeship Phase: A Proposed Maritime Pre-Apprenticeship Program

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the factors related to the maritime pre-apprenticeship phase. Among these factors were paper documents, medical requirements, training requirements and maritime skills and competencies. The problems encountered by the respondents were also identified. The significance of the differences in perceptions of the respondents was determined. Finally, based on the findings of the study a maritime pre-apprenticeship program is proposed.

The research used the descriptive method using surveys and interviews with key informants and was conducted in selected maritime educational institutions and shipping companies operating in Cebu City. The respondents of the study were the ten maritime superintendents and shipboard training officers (sto) from seven maritime educational institutions, fifteen crewing managers from seven shipping companies in Cebu City and 264 alumni and mates.

The findings revealed that Transcript of Records and birth certificate were the paper documents needed for apprenticeship; X ray was top on the medical requirements; Personal survival techniques was the training requirement. Human relation skill was a highly needed skill while maintaining a safe engineering watch was a highly needed competency.

The problems encountered by the alumni and apprenticemates included the following: the waiting period after the submission of requirements;  cadet’s inability to meet deadlines for the submission of required documents was the top problem encountered by the shipboard training officers; and limited slots for apprentice mates in the company ranked first for the crewing managers. There was no significant difference in the perceptions of the key informants on the skills and competencies and training requirements for apprenticeship but there was a significant difference in the perceptions of the key informants on the paper documents, medical requirements and other training requirements for apprenticeship.

The research concluded that the apprentice mates, shipboard training officers and crewing managers considered certain factors related to their qualifying for apprenticeship and that they encountered problems along the way.   Furthermore, the apprentice mates need the help of the maritime institutions and shipping companies, through the shipboard training officers and crewing managers, in the form of a maritime pre-apprenticeship program.

Recommendations of the study included the maritime education institutions’ strict compliance to the Commission on Higher Education Memorandum Orders, and implementation of the maritime pre-apprenticeship program (a four-phase, thirty-three day program that prepares the cadet for apprenticeship); the shipping companies, through the crewing managers, having communication lines open with the maritime schools; the alumni’s donation of a dormitory with affordable monthly budget to provide shelter for cadets before boarding apprenticeship vessels among others.