The Azores Maritime Training School (EFMA) is a training centre of excellence, endowed with modern infrastructures that will installed on the island of Faial soon. This training school aims to meet the highest standards and requirements in accordance with international rules and conventions.
This school is intended to train seafarers, providing them with the necessary skills to work in several types of vessels or port facilities. In addition to providing maritime technological training, the EFMA will offer trainees the possibility of acquiring base skills that will allow them to complete their basic or secondary school education.
The programmes developed by EFMA are designed to meet the highest standards of maritime training, complying with the national and international training and certification criteria (Standards of Training Certification and watchkeeping - STCW). Hence, these programmes are intended to provide all trainees with a unique educational experience, in which the cost/time of courses is efficient and conducive to success.
Moreover, the school will offer students the possibility of attending courses in different learning modalities in to meet the expectations and needs of each trainee. The training courses provided by the school are the following: professional certification courses; double certification courses (academic and professional); STCW qualification courses (International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) and technological specialisation courses.
Professional certification courses provide skills that are fundamental for getting access to a specific professional category as well as to certain internationally recognised certification (STCW). These courses may be attended in different training modalities.
Double certification courses, in addition to providing professional certification, also allow trainees to complete their basic or secondary school education with the necessary adaptations if students are from PALOP countries (Ordinance no. 224/2006 of March 8). These courses may vary in terms of workload in accordance with the academic profile of the student.
STCW training courses provide trainees with international certification in accordance with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers In turn, technological specialisation courses provide level 5 professional certification as well as a technological specialisation diploma (DET).
Trainees enrolled at these courses will also have the possibility of undertaking a professional traineeship at ship companies that have signed protocols with EFMA.
Given the importance of the Azores sea for the social and economic development of the Azores and the Region's strategic role in the context of environmental and maritime sciences, the Programme of the X Regional Government has awarded priority status to the training and certification of maritime crews. This investment is intended to promote and develop maritime activities in the areas of transport, fishing and tourism.