Two Marine Engineers Sail on 'Harbel Cutlass'
June 26, 2009, Monrovia, Liberia - The second set of Liberian seafarers recently sailed to the United States onboard a Firestone vessel in keeping with a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2008 between the Bureau of Maritime, Republic of Liberia and Firestone Natural Rubber Corporation. Ms. Grace Vaye and Mr. Tarnue Kpangbalai, both of whom graduated from the Regional Maritime University (RMU) in Ghana in 2009, set sail on June 26, 2009 on the “Harbel Cutlass” for a six week training voyage. They both have BSc degrees in Marine Engineering.
The current administration at the Bureau of Maritime Affairs (BMA) prioritizes human resource development and capacity building as a core, long term objective to ensure that Liberia’s maritime program is viable and sustainable. The BMA, as an autonomous agency under Commissioner Binyah C. Kesselly, has provided scholarships to several Liberians for studies at the RMU in Ghana and the World Maritime University in Sweden.
As head of the BMA, the Commissioner has vowed not to renege on his policy to improve and strengthen human resource through capacity building. Although Liberia owns the second largest registry in the global maritime industry and ample able bodied men and women who could serve onboard vessels, many lack the requisite knowledge, skills and experience to obtain employment contracts on the many vessels that ply the Liberian flag around the world.
In an interview prior to their trip, Ms. Vaye and Mr. Kpangbalai cautioned their colleagues at the RMU to take their training seriously as the Liberia maritime program is entering a new era, which has the potential to positively impact Liberian seafarers. They said their colleagues should remain cognizant of the fact that their field of study requires discipline, hard work and commitment.
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