Making the grade

CAREER GUIDE: The rating of maritime courses by premier agencies like CRISIL, CARE and ICRA will significantly aid students in their decision to choose an institute of repute.

What have globally-renowned premier rating agencies "� such as CRISIL, CARE and ICRA "� got to do with maritime training institutes, given that they are generally associated with the rating of commercial paper and term loans?

They are now rating maritime training institutes, assigning grades like 1 (Outstanding), 2 (Very Good), 3 (Good), 4 (Satisfactory) and 5 (Below Grading standards).

"Director General of Shiping (DG Shipping) has assigned three premier rating agencies CRISIL, ICRA and CARE to rate, grade and benchmark maritime institutes of the country. So far, these agencies have assigned grading to 31 institutes," says Deputy DG Shipping P H Krishnan.

Krishnan says there are over 130 maritime institutes in the country including private and state-run organisations. Out of 180, 61 per cent are pre-sea training institutes.

According to the study by the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) and the International Shipping Federation (ISF), the worldwide shortage of marine officers is likely to treble at 27,000 from current 10,000 by 2015. The number of ratings (junior level seafarers) will rise to 167,000 in ten years from 135,000 now.

But what is the benefit for a student? Says Krishnan: "Till now, the maritime institutes were taking shipping industry aspirants for a jolly ride in charging fees or providing course contents. Now, a credible grading of courses will significantly aid students in their decision of choosing an institute for a particular course. This is because the grading would seek to assess the relative quality of similar course offered across various institutes. Moreover, to the extent that the course offered would be benchmarked against international best practices as well, students would get a fair idea about the course quality against global standards too".

"The rating system will give a proper idea to both pre-sea students, who might have inadequate knowledge of the industry, as well as seafarers preparing for post-sea certifications," Deputy DG Shipping observes.

Actions against errant institutes? Points out Krishnan,"Of course, there will be strict action against institutes which are not benchmarking. Recently, we had suspended license of an institute in Pondicherry."

He says that those institutes which have not taken grading exercise as serious affair will not be given any forward or premier courses. "This will cripple operations such institutes. Maritime institutes have their choice to choose credit agencies," he adds.

How do ship-owners stands to gain? Says a senior executive of a Mumbai-based shipping company: "Shipping industry requires upgradation of skills time-to-time as and when new technology is inducted. This grading assures a seafarer is exposed to international quality of training. This will increase job performance of a seafarer onboard."

Grading of institutes will be an additional input for DG Shipping in regulating maritime education in the country.

"Moreover, it has the potential to serve as an effective tool for non-intrusive regulation of more than 100 institutes and encouraging a permeation of best practices across institutes. Further, if a system of quality education can be put in place, India could emerge as a global centre for excellence and cost-effective maritime education and training," adds another DG Shipping official.