CMI to train workforce for Panama Canal expansion

Correction & Clarification


The panamanian Ambassador to Jamaica is Jorge Constantino Gonzalez and not Lorenzo Chiari as published.

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The Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI), the region's centre for maritime excellence, is set to train Jamaicans to seek employment in Panama to facilitate the expansion of the Panama Canal.

This follows a visit last Thursday by Panamanian ambassador to Jamaica Constantino Gonzalez to the institute along with Minster of Industry, Investment and Commerce Anthony Hylton and executive director of the CMI, Dr Fritz Pinnock, and members of the executive management team.

"CMI is uniquely positioned to offer specialised industry-specific training in logistics and related areas because it is the only IMO-approved institution in the region," Dr Pinnock said of the partnership. "The institute is thrilled to be able to make this significant contribution towards productivity and nation building through training and education."

CMI's inclusion in the process of the canal's expansion symbolises a strengthening of the existing relationship between Jamaica and Panama. It will also provide an opportunity for Jamaica to benefit greatly from the economic activities generated by the pending expansion as ordinary Jamaicans will be able to take advantage of these emerging and lucrative opportunities in the logistics and seafaring sectors.

These opportunities include job creation, knowledge and cultural exchange, and further collaboration with Panamanian institutions and companies such as the Panamanian Canal Authority and the International Maritime University of Panama.

The Government of Jamaica has identified investment in logistics as a key national growth strategy thereby elevating initiatives in this sector to national-priority status.

One such initiative is the development of a logistics hub to transform Jamaica into a global trans-shipment hub.

This single project is expected to aid in the fulfilment of the Vision 2030 mandate of making Jamaica a developed country.

Education and training are key pillars in the development and success of a logistics hub, and the CMI is one of the critical institutions developing the human resource capacity for such a hub.

The CMI believes that a specialised labour force that is equipped with the necessary technical knowledge and training in the area of logistics and related industries (shipping, maritime and immigration) is needed to drive the development and sustainability of the hub. Professionals with these skill sets are in short supply and will be required in large numbers locally to serve in the context of a global logistics hub.

The CMI stands ready to invest in the nation's human resource capital by providing training and certification to meet the highest international standards. This investment will go a far way in decreasing unemployment and increasing productivity.