Navy’s Merchant Marine Training School receives Grade B–1 certification

Sri Lanka Navy’s Merchant Marine Training School (MMTS) has received B-1 Grade certification consequent to a comprehensive independent evaluation audit carried out by Mr. Ajoy Chattergy, the Principal and Head of the Great Eastern Institute of Maritime Studies based in Pune, India. He was the former Director General of Merchant Shipping in India and Head of the Maritime Safety Administration.

The audit was carried out by Mr. Chattergy, who is also an extra first class marine engineer, as per the requirement of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-Keeping (STCW) Committee constituted by the Director General of Merchant Shipping in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Navy established its Merchant Marine Training School as part of the overall strategy under the ‘Mahinda Chinthanaya’ where the island-nation is revitalizing her status as a maritime hub. The MMTS, located at the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee, conducts pre-sea maritime training courses, for merchant navy personnel enabling them to obtain the Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC), a vital document for all seafarers. The first batch was enlisted for the six-week long training module on 21^st April 2014. Two batches with a total of 37 personnel have successfully completed their training at the second top-most training facility in the island. During the short span of time, the school has gained wide reputation as an ideal opportunity for naval personnel’s post-career development. Plans are underway for its expansion to train seafarers to fulfill national aspirations.