The European Commission has launched a US$4.1 million programme to boost seafarer recruitment and increase awareness about the shipping industry to the general public. The programme, which should get underway by the middle of next year, will last three years and involve significant participation by interested parties from the shipping industry.
Addressing industry leaders at a presentation of the Key Performance Indicator initiative in London recently, Dimitrios Theologitis, head of unit for Maritime Transport & Ports Policy, Maritime Security, at the European Commission’s DGTREN, said the programme would be a joint initiative between Brussels and the shipping industry and would concentrate on the image of shipping as well as improving awareness of the maritime sector.