Seafarers For Export

Figures don't lie. Sea-faring is a growing source of employment for I-Kiribati men and probably stresses the point that skilled export is the way to go for a small island nation struggling with a negligible private sector and scarce paid work. This year, almost 1200 men are working on overseas freighters and fishing boats.

In 2000 alone, according to figures made available by the Kiribati Bureau of Statistics, the men remitted home A$10.428 million. On average, that's A$8690 remitted by each man. Put another way, the total amount represents 17 percent of the country's GDP for that year.

No wonder President Anote Tong is banking his hopes on labour export as a way to ease the growing number of unemployed youths on South Tarawa.

He believes such a proposal is already in the report of the eminent persons' group that reviewed the work of the Suva-based Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

"I think the report touched on the opportunity for greater labour mobility because I know there are some jobs in Australia and New Zealand which their own people are not willing to do," said President Tong.

"Our people are willing to do that, so we should explore the kind of schemes we need." The President seems to believe the Betio-based Maritime Training Centre (MTC), which trains young I-Kiribati to be ordinary seamen for overseas freighters, can increase its annual intake. The good news is that the centre believes it can do just that. MTC head, Captain Superintendent Svilen Yankov, says the centre will be able to take on more than its usual 100 students a year with a few adjustments and additions.

"Presently, some of the buildings are very old...we have to build new better buildings. We need more space in the dormitories, more classrooms so we can utilise our instructor personnel and programmes better. We need donors for these expansions." Captain Yankov is from Yugoslavia and works for the South Pacific Marine Services (SPMS), a consortium of German shipping companies. It manages MTC for Kiribati's Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development and SPMS absorbs most of the MTC graduates in their foreign ocean going freighters.

Of late, some of the graduates have found jobs in cruise ships.

Since the opening of the training centre in 1967, it has produced some 5367 seamen. Then, it was called the Maritime Training School. Training cost is met by both SPMS and the Ministry with students studying for free and recruited from all the islands of Kiribati. Intakes must be between 18 to 30 years old, have a clean police record and physically and mentally fit. To qualify as an ordinary seaman, each student goes through the centre's inter-department flexibility course.

"Their training in this course exceeds the minimum requirement. For example, they learn basic welding techniques and some of the trainees take cookery and steward courses.

"We offer upgrading courses too like motormen, able bodied seamen, fitter, welding and advanced welding.

"There are also refresher courses, the renewal of safety training certificates every five years." MTC undoubtedly is a success story for the fledging island nation. Feedback from employers, according to Captain Yankov has been excellent. "They are good seamen. It comes to them naturally. They are good workers too." A number of them do get to further their studies in maritime, securing scholarships from donor agencies like NZAID, AusAID even SPMS. Some MTC graduates now hold senior positions like 2nd or 3rd officers as well as 2nd and 3rd engineers.

Apart from generating scarce jobs for young men, it however has sadly been the source of a new and deadly problem: the HIV virus.

Of the 42 confirmed HIV cases in Kiribati, over half comprises seafarers and their spouses. Having to travel and call into foreign ports and being absent from their wives and partners, the men are invariably exposed to the risk of contracting the virus. It is for this reason that MTC accepts the inclusion of HIV/AIDS in its curriculum.

"We are very much aware of HIV/AIDS," said Captain Yankov. "We do train them and we use drama groups, lectures from the local Red Cross and office of the Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific." A positive development though is MTC's desire to recruit women as well.

Said Yankov: "First, we need to improve our buildings to suit women better.

Some basic safety training could be done now for those employed and at the request of employers."