Staff Reporter
MARINE engineering students from the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) visited the Port of Walvis Bay to obtain practical experience in the industrial machinations that occur in the harbour every day.
Elias Mwenyo, the Namibian Port Authority’s Executive: Commercial Services, said it is the state-owned enterprise’s goal to stimulate young minds to develop an interest in maritime professions and to support suitable candidates to obtain relevant qualifications.
In 2013, the ports authority introduced its Catch-Them-Young strategy to expose young people to the requirements for careers in the port and maritime industry and if they did make the choice, to train them accordingly.
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE: A small group of marine engineering students from the Namibia University of Science and Technology recently paid a visit to the Walvis Bay harbour to see firsthand how the industrial part of the port operates. – Photo: Courtesy of NamPort
To realise this, NamPort entered into an agreement with the Lawhill Maritime Centre, which is part of Simon’s Town School in Cape Town.
“The centre agreed to accommodate qualifying Namibian learners from high school level in their curriculum. Since the inception of the programme, 12 learners have successfully completed their schooling at the cost of over N$1 million. These learners have subsequently progressed to tertiary level studies in the maritime field,” Mwenyo said.
From their port visit, the students proceeded to other industrial installations situated in Walvis Bay to expand their experiential learning.
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