BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
The Solomon Islands Maritime College’s state-of-the-art Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) centre is a beacon of progress for the country’s maritime sector.
Mr Alan Lilia, the permanent secretary to the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, said that at the official commissioning, opening and handover ceremony held at the SINU Solomon Islands Maritime College at Marine School East, Honiara on Wednesday.
Delivering his keynote address, PS Lilia said that this vision was initially charted by the foresight of the SINU Vice-Chancellor, Dr Transform Agorau, and the Solomon Islands Maritime Authority (SIMA) Director, Thierry Neville.
He said that they initiated a collaborative arrangement that culminated in a right of partnership agreement involving SINU, MID, SIPA, and SIMTA in 2023.
He said that this alliance established a joint oversight committee dedicated to the crucial task of upgrading the country’s maritime college.
He said that together they have diligently developed a comprehensive project proposal and are committed to transformative changes to the institution.
“Our collaborative efforts bore fruit in 2024 when the partnership agreement and the broader development of maritime training received the endorsement of a letter in its integration into the Maritime Labour Mobility and Shipping Registry National Roadmap, which was officially opened, launched in August 2024,’’ he said.
He said that their overarching ambition is to unleash the new horizon of job opportunities and skilled employment for our nation’s needs.
“We firmly believe that the maritime sector, encompassing both shipping within some islands and globally, holds immense potential to fulfil this aspiration. With our solar centre, we will soon provide our student seafarers with internationally recognised qualifications, opening doors to careers on the world stage,’’ said Lilia.
He said that the ambitious endeavour was achieved through the partnerships with National Fisheries Development (NFD) and its General Manager, Russell Dunham, for their invaluable partnership in this critical initiative.
“Our largest shipping and fisheries company and a principal maritime employee, NFD stands not merely as an industry leader but a joint partner in elevating ship safety standards and nurturing our seafarers,’’ said Lilia.