Navigation Training Centre in rough waters

KOCHI: The Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation’s Navigation Training Centre, the first-of-its-kind in the state offering training in handling different kinds of vessels, is in rough waters. It has been more than a  year since the training at the centre came to a standstill. The training is conducted through a tie-up with the Youth Welfare Board which sponsors students, while  the KSINC provides the facilities. Applications were invited in March 2010 and the names of shortlisted candidates were given to the Youth Welfare Board (YWF), but no response was received. The Youth Welfare Board is yet to consider the KSINC proposal. “We had asked for details on how the training has benefited the students. However, their statements were not clear. Moreover, some officials were shifted due to which the proposal was not taken up. We’ll look into it,” said officials with the board. “We’ll take up the proposal as soon as the board is reconstituted,” said YFB Member Secretary Vishwanatha Pillai.“The centre was set up in 2004 to address the need for qualified and trained people for the inland navigation sector. Besides theory, hands-on experience required for handling boats, barges, speedboats and other vessels are given. Fire fighting and life-saving techniques are also taught. Such training is not offered anywhere else in the state. But the only hitch is that we don’t have the authority to give licence. We give only a course certificate. The course is yet to be recognised,” said KSINC sources.The courses went smoothly till last year, with most of the students passing out and getting jobs, they said.“We plan to take it up with the government and intend to revive the course and strengthen it further,” said Chairman and Managing Director, KSINC, Tom Jose. Last year the Kerala Port Department had set up a maritime institute in Neendakara where a refresher training of four days was given bimonthly.  “We have given training to about 4,500 candidates. We can start bigger courses only after getting affiliation to the Maritime University,” said training manager Sreedharan Pillai.