By Terry Hutson THE DURBAN-based Maritime Institute is to open a college in Cape Town in early January. This follows the successful launch earlier this year of a Johannesburg college.
The Cape Town college will offer all courses presently on the syllabus in Durban and Johannesburg, according to marketing manager Peter Fitt Jnr. He said the move was motivated by the large number of school leavers joining the freight industry, which has created a need to ensure that they have the necessary skills.
Companies can now plan their personnel requirements by contacting the nearest college and detailing staff specifications, he said. A national database will allow us to source students who meet these specs and if necessary train them further in any direction specific to that company. He said that one of the aims of the courses now on offer is to ensure that when a student applies for a post anywhere in the industry, he or she will possess the skills, and will have received a complete job orientation, with an understanding of the systems in use. Recruits should then be able to immediately contribute to the work demands without having to tie up existing staff with in-house training.
