US Embassy to host Caribbean maritime scholars at ACMF award ceremony
Published:Tuesday | November 12, 2024 | 12:07 AM
THE AMERICAN Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF) will honour 109 scholarship recipients at its 2024 scholarship awards ceremony hosted by the US Embassy in Kingston on Tuesday, November 19. Ambassador Nick Perry will preside over the event, sponsored by Lannaman and Morris Shipping Limited.
This year’s cohort represents the ACMF’s largest in its seven-year history, with scholarships awarded to 80 students from the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) in Jamaica, 25 from two maritime institutions in Guyana, and four from the University of Trinidad and Tobago. Dr Geneive Brown Metzger, founder and president of the ACMF, described the programme as a strategic response to the high demand for skilled professionals in the maritime sector. “This is our largest cohort of scholarship and grant awards in our seven years,” Brown Metzger said. “Listen, this is a no-brainer. Where you have some of the largest cruise and cargo companies serving the Caribbean and looking for top talent to work at officer-level positions, it makes good sense to work with these companies to support training of tomorrow’s maritime professionals to take up professional jobs.”
Roland Malins-Smith, ACMF board member and a key private donor, highlighted the untapped potential of Caribbean youth in the maritime sector. “This sector has amazing opportunities for our young people. Shipping is responsible for building some of the world’s largest economies. Unfortunately, not enough Caribbean youth understand the vast career and lucrative job opportunities shipping has to offer.”
Lannaman and Morris Shipping Ltd, a strong supporter of the ACMF’s mission, has consistently hired graduates from CMU, continuing a legacy initiated by the late Harry Maragh and continued by his wife and chairman, Charmaine Maragh.
The ACMF has partnered with five academic institutions across CARICOM to train future maritime professionals in areas such as Customs processing, cybersecurity, supply- chain management, and port operations.