A Geneva-based leading shipping firm on Tuesday said it will launch an initiative to create awareness among Jharkhand and Bihar school students to woo them to opt for attractive maritime jobs by linking them to senior crew members.
Through 'Adopt a Ship Programme', primary school students will be linked with MSC Cargo and Cruise vessels' senior crew members.
A Geneva-based leading shipping firm on Tuesday said it will launch an initiative to create awareness among Jharkhand and Bihar school students to woo them to opt for attractive maritime jobs by linking them to senior crew members.
India with 12 per cent of the world’s population has just about 7 per cent of the seafarers market. On the other hand, countries like Philippines with just 2 per cent of the world’s population has grabbed 20 per cent global share.
"An 'Adopt a Ship Programme' has been initiated as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by a Geneva-headquartered shipping company that employs a substantial number of Indian seafarers, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)," MSC said in a statement.
MSC's Cyprus-based arm MSC Shipmanagement Limited will spearhead this CSR initiative and aim to connect with schools in India, including many primary schools of Jharkhand and Bihar in the current year, it said.
Through 'Adopt a Ship Programme', primary school students will be linked with MSC Cargo and Cruise vessels' senior crew members.
A substantial number of merchant navy officers who are native of Jharkhand and Bihar states currently work as skilled seafarers aboard specialized cargo and cruise ships owned and operated by MSC.
Nita Jha, Head of Group Learning & Organizational Development, Sustainability & Support Services, MSC Shipmanagement said, "The aim of our 'Adopt a Ship Programme' CSR initiative is to highlight the positive side and benefits of the shipping industry and its huge contribution to the global economy. This maritime awareness programme will influence thousands of Indian students to opt for the merchant navy as a lucrative career option."
Jha added that a leading maritime nation like India having a long coastline of around 7,500 km has more than 50 per cent of its population below the age of 25 and more than 65 per cent below the age of 35. MSC's connect with Indian students through 'Adopt a Ship Programme' will act as a major boost for the Indian ship manning industry in the years to come as Indian seafarers have acquired a prestigious position as a major global workforce over many decades, she said.
MSC Shipmanagement Limited employs over 14,000 people, which includes shore staff in Cyprus, India, Ukraine and Philippines as well as the skilled crew on board MSC's managed cargo and cruises vessels.
(With PTI inputs)