The Academy of Maritime Education and Training (AMET), Chennai, has launched a number of courses, most of them short-term. The certificate courses will benefit students when they seek better positions or take up higher studies, say AMET professors.
The Department of Higher National Diploma Nautical Science and Marine Engineering has also launched two part-time courses of one-year duration — B.Sc. (Management of Shipping Operations) and B.Sc. (Marine Engineering).
Candidates with diploma in marine engineering and nautical science can apply for the management of shipping operations programme. “We talked to former students who said they were interested in doing a degree course. We have launched the course for their benefit,” says S. Rengaraju, head of the department.
AMET also has proposals to start Ph D programmes too, says Rengaraju. AMET’s B.Sc. programme enables students to earn while they learn. The course is supported and endorsed by the City of Glasgow College, U.K.
The short-term courses prepare candidates for the Certificate of Competency exam. The courses are conducted with the approval of the Directorate General of Shipping.
Candidates recruited by foreign shipping companies are paid in U.S. dollars and could start with a salary of $500 to $800 per month. Once they clear the competency exams the salary goes up to $2,000 per month. A chief engineer on a ship could expect a salary of $14,000 to $16,000 per month.
