MARINE ENGINEERS have finally won the recognition of Tanzania's Engineering Registration Board (ERB), ending months of vicious haggling. The denial of registration was the subject of intense debate between the engineers' board and the Merchant Navy Officers Association of Tanzania. The ERB becomes the second association to recognize Tanzania's marine engineers. In May this year, local marine engineers were given the seal of approval of the Institute of Marine Engineers of London (IMarE).
Dar-es-Salaam Maritime Institute (DMI) is the only such institute in sub-Saharan Africa mandated by the International Maritime Organisation to offer marine engineering courses and certificates of competency, is the alma mater of most of the country's 320 marine engineers. About 62 per cent of the graduate marine engineers are aboard Tanzanian ships with a further four per cent on board foreign ships and seven per cent ashore in Tanzania.
Many of those ashore are in employment with Tanzania Harbours Authority and on Tanzania Railways Corporation vessels; others are lecturers at DMI and Megan Fisheries Development Centre north of Dar along the Indian Ocean coast. The recognition by ERB opens up further opportunities of employment on local and foreign vessels.
Article by Mike Mande
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