About World Maritime Day 2015

​​The World Maritime Day theme for 2015 is  “Maritime education and training”.

The theme was adopted to focus attention on  the wider spectrum of maritime education and training, in particular its adequacy and quality, as the bedrock of a safe and secure shipping industry, which needs to preserve the quality, practical skills and competence of qualified human resources, in order to ensure its sustainability.

The 1978 STCW Convention and Code, as amended, set the international benchmark for the training and education of seafarers. While compliance with its standards is essential for serving on board ships, the skills and competence of seafarers, and indeed, the human element ashore, can only be adequately underpinned, updated and maintained through effective maritime education and training.
World Maritime Day will be celebrated at IMO Headquarters on Thursday, 24 September 2015, but other events and activities focusing on maritime education​ and training will be held throughout the year

World Maritime Day open mornings

IMO is hosting two open mornings, the first day (22 September) for primary and the second day (23 September) for secondary school students, at IMO Headquarters to promote the 2015 World Maritime Day theme.  Member States’ officer trainee cadets are encouraged to attend and serve as role models for those students considering a career at sea.

Symposium: “Shipping’s future needs people: Is global maritime education and training on course?”

Speakers from the shipping and maritime industry and academia will address three sessions, covering:

Session 1:  Opportunities for the young generation in the maritime industry
Session 2:  Seafaring as a profession
Session 3:  Developing seafarer skills through quality maritime education and training

IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu will open and close the Symposium.

The agenda can be found here:  https://www.imo.org/en/About/Events/WorldMaritimeDay/Documents/CL%203558%20WMD%20symposium.pdf please see page3-4.

Source: International Maritime Organisation, 3 September 2015