Cooperative agreement for maritime training signed

Cooperative agreement for maritime training signed A wide-ranging memorandum of cooperation between maritime training programs in the Caribbean was signed Wednesday in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
   The agreement covers English, Dutch, Spanish and French Caribbean training programs, and was signed on the final day of the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) Executives Conference.
   Signatories of the memorandum included the Caribbean Maritime Institute of Jamaica (CMI), Netherlands-based De Ruyter Training and Consultancy, and the Curacao-based Dutch Caribbean Training Centre.
   The agreement is intended to help meet the training needs of shipping and shipping support service companies in the region. It aims to lead to the exchange of relevant technology and expertise for the development of maritime training and consultancy throughout the Caribbean islands, Central America and South America, CSA said in a statement.
   'By aligning standards in the Caribbean with global norms, this memorandum brings into Caribbean shipping a facility that will have far-reaching developmental benefits to the region,' the CSA said. 'It will facilitate comprehensive vocational, professional and academic education and training up to Master of Science degrees.'