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The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) kickstarted its annual Maritime Career Awareness Roadshow on September 7, and saw more than 1 500 learners from various schools within Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality receiving exposure to the maritime sector.
Rolled out in September last year by TNPA, the maritime career awareness programme is designed for Grade 9 learners, aimed at informing their school subject choices and steering them towards maritime careers. The sessions are informative in nature and include testimonials delivered by TNPA mariners from various disciplines, as well as information on Transnet bursary opportunities.
For the 2023 launch session, Grade 9 learners from six high schools were gathered by TNPA at Raymond Mhlaba Indoor Sports Centre in Motherwell. The schools in attendance include Motherwell High, Cingani, Douglas Mbopa, Soqhayisa, Ncedo and Ethembeni Enrichment Centre.
In the remaining weeks of Maritime Month, TNPA will engage seven more schools in the Nelson Mandela Municipality, and extend the programme to other port cities.
“We are thrilled to roll out this programme again this year, and we hope to ignite maritime passion in learners and see them deciding to choose pure mathematics, physical science and maritime studies as part of their subject choices for Grade 10,” said Ayanda Mantshongo, executive manager: Corporate Affairs at TNPA.
During the 2022 roadshow, TNPA engaged over 4 000 Grade 9s, and in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality alone approximately 400 learners indicated interest in maritime careers. This year, as part of World Maritime Day celebrations on September 28, TNPA will treat the interested learners who have chosen pure mathematics and physical science in Grade 10 with an On-The-Job Port Open Day operational experience at the Port of Ngqura. This celebration will see the future mariners boarding tug boats and having first-hand experience of the shipping environment.
