ICMA accredits its first training course
ICMA proudly announces the accreditation of its first training course, The Seafarers’ Environmental Education Workshop for Port Chaplains and Ship Visitors.
Originally developed by ICMA member the Seamen’s Church Institute of New York and New Jersey, ICMA’s Standing Committee for Education and Training (SCET) have approved and endorsed the course for presentation to ICMA personnel. ICMA’s Chairman, Douglas B. Stevenson, speaking on behalf of the SCET and SCI, announced that the course has been tried and tested. He said it has already been successfully presented in Boston (25 May 2011), Albany, NY (13 June 2011) and Port Newark, NJ (14 June 2011).
ICMA is moving towards setting standards of professionalism in training for port chaplaincy. To uphold its quality of care ICMA designs training courses for its personnel that are innovative, fit for purpose and comprehensive in scope. The accreditation of this course marks the first of a comprehensive package of training instruments which ICMA intends to collect and endorse.
ICMA thanks the SCI for taking the lead. ICMA now encourages its members and partners to submit to our training portfolio existing and newly designed training materials aimed at enhancing the skills of chaplains, seafarers centre staff and volunteers.
Meanwhile, ICMA’s current flagship training programme, Seafarers Ministry Training (SMT), which draws students from across ICMA’s membership and from all over the world, kicks off this weekend in Cape Town, South Africa for the second consecutive year. The SMT is a collaboration of ICMA’s members. The Coordinator of this year’s SMT is the Reverend Martina Platte from the Deutsche Seemannsmission (German Seamen’s Mission). Heading up the local team is the Reverend Johan Smith of the Christian Seaman’s Organisation.
