Date of Award
2015
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Master of Science in Maritime Affairs
Specialization
Maritime Education & Training
Campus
Malmö, Sweden
Country
South Africa
First Advisor
Froholdt, Lisa Loloma.
Abstract
Attaining quality in maritime education and training is very crucial for effective maritime development. Quality MET has therefore become an imperative for countries wishing to effectively develop their maritime sectors. This dissertation sought to assess the quality of maritime education and training from the perspectives of seafarers in Africa, with specific reference to South Africa and Ghana. Participants for the study included maritime administrators, MET lecturers, and seafarers, in both Ghana and South Africa, who were selected using the purposive sampling method. The qualitative research method was employed to investigate the objectives of the study. The findings of the study revealed that deficient maritime instruction methods are employed in the MET institutions of the two countries and that seafarers are not able to effectively apply knowledge acquired from their education and training in their lines of work. The findings of the study also revealed that a number of challenges impede the attainment of quality MET in Africa. These findings therefore have implications for the development of the maritime potentials of Africa as a whole. One major recommendation by the study is that there should be institutional collaborations across Africa in MET as stressed by the African Maritime Transport Charter.