Press Release: Bright future for cadets from Kherson State Maritime Academy

Thanks to a joint project of the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, the Marine Transport Workers’ Union of Ukraine (MTWTU), Kherson State Maritime Academy (KSMA) and the Lithuanian Maritime Academy, 50 Ukrainian cadets will be able to complete their maritime studies and obtain Lithuanian and Ukrainian certificates of competency.

Over the last six months war in Ukraine has traumatized the country and rocked the world. The protracted hostilities have affected many industries and significantly impacted merchant shipping and the world's economy. Martial law, imposed in Ukraine from February 24, 2022, has, until now, prevented Ukrainian seafarers from joining vessels and had a dramatic effect on the crewing of ships.

In addition, thousands of cadets in maritime educational institutions have been unable to complete their courses and obtain working diplomas, without seagoing experience.

Kherson State Maritime Academy is one of the leading maritime educational institutions in Ukraine, it has felt the devastating effects of the war at first hand. Since mid-March, the Kherson region has been under the control of the occupying authorities and is now the focus of a counteroffensive. The academy’s premises and facilities, built up over years with the support of the MTWTU and the maritime industry, were also occupied. Nevertheless, the academy’s administration managed to establish a form of distance learning.

MTWTU and the ITF Seafarers’ Trust have been working closely together to support seafarers and their families since the start of the conflict and decided to turn their attention to the plight of the cadets.

“We are fully committed to supporting our Ukrainian brothers and sisters through this terrible period. Ordinarily the Trust concentrates more on welfare than training, but these are exceptional circumstances. We’re extremely proud to help these young people to finish their studies and realize their aspirations.” said Dave Heindel, Chair of the ITF Seafarers’ Trust.

“Ukraine is known to the world for its highly skilled seafarers and, today, thousands of seafarers are fighting for its independence. We are immensely proud of their courage. However, we must not forget about our future. It was in thinking about future generations of Ukrainian seafarers that the idea of a project was born. Within its framework, cadets of the Kherson State Maritime Academy from the occupied territories and territories of active hostilities could get a chance to study at the Lithuanian Maritime Academy.” said Oleg Grygoriuk, MTWTU Chairman.

The cadets will be enrolled into the Lithuanian Maritime Academy in Klaipeda; with the main goal to ensure that they receive both theoretical and practical knowledge in a safe and fulfilling manner. The project provides for training in parallel in both educational institutions.

“We decided to focus on cadets who had completed their third year but were effectively in limbo, unable to complete their studies and get their certification.” said Katie Higginbottom, Head of ITF Seafarers’ Trust

“We are providing financial support for academic studies, accommodation and subsistence in Lithuania and help with finding placements. For cadets, the seagoing training is always an acute issue because high-quality experience directly influences the future career growth of a young seafarer. In this we’ve reached out to our industry partners who have been very supportive of the initiative. It was important for us that the cadets will receive a rigorous education and retain the connection to their Ukrainian academy who will also benefit from the project. Having visited the academy in Klaipeda and met the coordinator from Kherson I am convinced they will have a top-class education in a nurturing environment.”

In early September, the first project participants will begin their studies in Klaipeda.

ENDS

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Note to editors

The ITF Seafarers’ Trust

The ITF Seafarers Trust is a UK charity established in 1981, which funds programmes that advance the wellbeing of maritime workers, seafarers and their families. We are funded by the Trust’s own capital funds, and by the investment income of the Welfare Fund at the International Transport Workers Federation, a global federation of transport workers’ unions representing nearly 20 million members.

Marine Transport Workers’ Trade Union of Ukraine

The Marine Transport Workers’ Trade Union of Ukraine is a national trade union uniting more than 80,000 members: seafarers, workers of ports, ship repair plants and enterprises of State Hydrography, professors, cadets and students of maritime educational institutions. The main objectives of the MTWTU are to promote labour rights protection, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues.

Kherson State Maritime Academy

Kherson State Maritime Academy (KSMA) is one of the leading maritime educational institutions in Ukraine, training specialists in the full range of maritime industries. The high level of knowledge obtained by students and cadets is due to the professionalism of the teaching staff and the availability of a modern training base, which was already few times sponsored by Ukrainian and international organizations, among which were MTWTU and IMEC.

Lithuanian Maritime Academy

Lithuanian Maritime Academy (LMA) is among the most attractive academic institutions offering internationally recognized study programs. The Academy is a leader in preparing specialists in the maritime and inland waterway transport sector. The Quality Management System in Lithuanian Maritime Academy is certified by Lloyd`s Register Quality Assurance according to the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 standard.