Vasco Cordeiro opens Maritime School that has the "ambition" to provide training of reference in this area
The President of the Government opened today the Azores Maritime School, an investment of about 7.2 million Euros that has the "ambition," from the island of Faial, to become a national and international reference in the training of professions in this area.
"I am proud to open the Azores Maritime School (EMA) for the fact that this 7.2 million-Euro investment fulfils a dream and an ambition, both justified, of becoming one of the best training establishments in this area," said Vasco Cordeiro.
At a ceremony attended by the Minister of the Sea, Ricardo Serrão Santos, as part of the Government's two-day visit to Faial, the President of the Regional Government stressed that EMA is an investment that also values the country. In fact, it creates better conditions for the improvement of qualification opportunities in an area of emerging importance at European and world level, such as the Sea.
After welcoming the partners of this project - the University of the Azores, the Infante D. Henrique Nautical School and the Municipality of Horta -, Vasco Cordeiro stated that this is a modern and functional school designed and equipped to provide a training of excellence. It is expected to enter into operation already in the next school year.
“It is a fact that the Maritime School, as of today, is already in a position to fulfil its mission of training and qualifying human resources in various occupations related to the Sea, but I would like to emphasise that we want to go further. Going further, in this case, involves two other aspects that I consider to be of utmost importance.”
According to him, the first of these aspects concerns a component that will bring the training provided by EMA to another level of attractiveness, importance and external affirmation.
“Starting next October, the Azores Maritime School will include a Damage Control Area, which will be the most modern infrastructure of its kind in the country. In addition to providing all the certifications required at international level, this Damage Control Area guarantees EMA international certified training in two fundamental areas: safety at sea and damage control.
Hence, this school will have the possibility of being also a reference in advanced firefighting and professional diving training,” stressed the President of the Government.
The second aspect is concerns what the Maritime School intends to be, in terms of its potential to attract trainees, said the President of the Government, for whom the intervention area of this school is not limited neither to the Region nor to the country. From the island of Faial, it intends to go further, for example, through the collaboration with Portuguese-speaking countries.
“Thus, I can announce that the Regional Government will move forward with the recovery of the four apartment blocks located in the vicinity of this central building, an investment of about one million Euros. This significant investment is aimed at supporting trainers and trainees from other islands of the archipelago, Mainland Portugal and abroad. It will make the Azores Maritime School a true "campus," creating conditions to, from this island, project the Region in this field of professional qualification and enhancement,” said the President of the Government.