29 GOAL graduates from maritime institute to get internships with global companies

Graduates from the Atlantic Alliance Maritime & Offshore Training Institute (AAMOTI) under the country’s first internationally accredited maritime programme will receive internships with global companies.

The graduates, whose studies were funded by the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), will now be placed with international shipping and offshore companies for internships.

“All of our graduates can work under any flag, including the United Kingdom,” said Miranda Thakur-Deen, Managing Director of AAMOTI at the graduation ceremony Wednesday.

“So today I stand proud. I didn’t just open an institute; I opened an accredited institute that has the standards that can stand up in the global market, ready for the maritime and oil and gas sector.”

AAMOTI confirmed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Seavie Caribbean Ltd, a regional maritime management company that supplies highly qualified seafarers for global commercial fleets, including LPG and LNG tankers and offshore vessels. This agreement is expected to provide Guyanese cadets with access to high-tech ships and structured internship placements across the world.

In addition to Seavie, AAMOTI has established strategic ties with Hafnia, Bourbon Marine & Logistics, OMS Thome, and Tidewater—each a leading global operator in its segment of the shipping and offshore energy sectors.

The graduates are excited about the path ahead.

“We started out journey thoughtful, uncertain, and somewhat overwhelmed. The sea was just a concept, navigational charts was just paper, and the engineering lab was quite intimidating.

“But with every drill, every lesson, every muster, we rose as cadets, then as colleagues and now we emerge as seafarers,” said valedictorian Bharat Bhopal.

The cadets completed rigorous training in maritime operations, offshore safety, and technical protocols.

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, delivering the keynote address at the graduation ceremony, praised the achievements of the cohort and highlighted the significance of their training to Guyana’s expanding energy and shipping industries.

“With Guyana’s coastline emerging as a gateway to international trade and offshore energy production, the relevance of your training could not be more timely or more vital,” he said.

“This is not only a personal milestone for each of you but a national achievement in building capacity for the future.”

AAMOTI, established in 2021, is a Guyanese-registered maritime institute delivering IMO-compliant training.

Recognising the pivotal role AAMOTI has played in cultivating Guyana’s maritime talent, Prime Minister Phillips said that since its establishment in 2021, the institute has served “as a launching pad for careers in the global maritime and offshore industry.”

He also emphasised the evolving landscape and the continuous demand for certified, competent, and skilled local professionals as Guyana’s oil and gas sector continues to expand.