International Journal

on Marine Navigation

and Safety of Sea Transportation

Volume 1

Number 2

June 2007

223

Project “e-Marine”, a New Approach for Port

and Maritime Activities

D. Carp

Constanta Maritime University, Romania

ABSTRACT: An important problem our days is to recognize the knowledge, the skills and the competencies

wherever it might be acquired. Most European countries are currently developing and implementing methods,

institutions and systems for the validation of non-formal and informal learning.

1 EUROPEAN QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORK

The Commission adopted on 5 September 2006 a

proposal for a Recommendation of the European

Parliament and of the Council on the establishment

of the European Qualifications Framework for

lifelong learning (EQF).

The EQF will provide a common language to

describe qualifications which will help Member

States, employers and individuals compare qualifica-

tions across the EU’s diverse education and training

systems. The adoption of the proposal follows

almost 2 years of consultation across Europe.

In May 2005 at the Bergen Conference of the

European Ministers Responsible for higher

education, was adopted a framework for

qualifications of the European Higher Education

Area (EHEA) comprising three cycles, generic

descriptors for each cycle based on learning

outcomes and competences, and credit range s in the

first and second cycles. The need was stressed to

ensure complementarities between this EHEA

arrangement and a similar framework to be

developed for lifelong learning.

EQF shift the focus from learning inputs to

learning outcomes and the intended results are:

− supports a better match between the needs of the

labor market (for knowledge, skills and compe-

tences) and education and training provisions;

− facilitates the validation of non-formal and

informal learning;

− facilitates the transfer and use of qualifications

across different countries and education and

training systems.

During the last 20 years regarding the problem of

comparability of diplomas it was a huge change.

First of all they identified only the result of

identically educational programs; after that they

accepted equivalence of the educational programs.

Recognition of the educational programs was an

important step to the credit transfer system.

The core element of the European Qualifications

Framework is a set of eight reference levels

describing what a learner knows, understands and is

able to do - their ‘learning outcomes’ - regardless of

the system where a particular qualification was

acquired.

Before Bologna process Romania had only five

reference levels!

As an instrument for the promotion of lifelong

learning, the EQF encompasses:

− general and adult education,

224

− vocational education and training,

− higher education.

The eight levels cover the entire span of

qualifications from those achieved at the end of

compulsory education to those awarded at the

highest level of academic and professional or

vocational education and training.

− Training and Education;

− Continuous education;

− Life long learning;

− Life wide learning;

shows the importance gave to this problem by the

national and European experts. Ján Figel appreciated

that:

“The EQF will help to solve that problem:

it will make different national qualifications more

understandable across Europe, and so promote

access to education and training. Once adopted, it

will increase mobility for learning or working. We

believe the EQF is a key initiative in creating more

jobs and growth, helping people in Europe to face

the challenges of a globalizing, knowledge-based

world economy.”

The draft recommendation foresees that Member

States relate their national qualifications systems to

the EQF (by 2009).

The establishment of the European Qualifications

Framework for lifelong learning is a stage of

implementation of Community Lisbon Program. It

will established a system for the comparability of

vocational educational and training (VET). In these

respect a total of 219 VET qualifications in 19

sectors were compared. But, due to the centralized

approach and the constant and rapid evolution of the

qualifications

The results proved resource-intensive and

unsustainable due to the centralized approach and

the constant and rapid evolution of the qualifica-

tions. The work carried out at the European level had

little impact at the level of national or sector or

stakeholders level.

For this reason a solution is introducing a

decentralized approach for cooperation which

reflects the increasing complexity of qualifications

in Europe.

2 HARMONIZATION OF MARITIME & PORT

OCCUPATIONS STANDARDS

The ships are manned by seamen from 140 or so

countries, speaking even more numerous languages

and dialects.

Seafarers are of a great variety of backgrounds

and ambitions, but most are exploited and defenseless

at work.

The industry is reluctant to adopt human value

based management.

Symptomatic of the shipping industry’s

commercial performance and operational

incompetence is the wide differences in wages paid

to its workers doing the same job.

They are 300 separate pay scales apply to 50

different nationalities of seafarers.

Labor market conditions that exist in maritime

industry run the risk of operating at standards that

ignore both personal management and human

resource management models

The operation of merchant shipping is governed

by comprehensive rules and conventions developed

by national and international authorities.

Regulation of the technical aspects of shipping

can only achieve part of the objective of safe and

pollution-free ship operations.

The master is responsible for safety of each ship

and crew, the overall responsibility for the

administration and safe operation of each ship rests

with the owner.

Ján Figel, European Commissioner for Education,

Training, Culture and Multilingualism appreciated

that: “People in Europe too often face obstacles

when they try to move from one country to another

to learn or work, or when they want to build upon

previous education or training.”

3 POLICIES OF THE UNION

Directive 2005/36/EC provides for a system of

automatic recognition of qualifications for professions

with harmonized training requirements;

For other regulated professions (around 800

professions) the system is based on mutual

recognition;

It imposes legally binding obligations on Member

States’ authorities.

Mutual recognition is the aim of the Directive

1996/26/EC on access to the occupation of road

haulage operator and road transport operator.

225

4 “E-MARINE“, EDUCATIONAL

PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN

UNIVERSITIES & PORT COMMUNITY

The Information Society (IS) will have an important

impact on education, culture, economy and

worldwide trade.

After 2000, EC set up precise objectives for the

future development of necessary measurements for a

well-balanced IS implementation.

The Romanian policy for LL education sets the

improving of quality and the encouragement full

access to continuing, vocational training and

permanent acquirement of aptitudes and abilities.

“e-Marine” project started in January 2006 and

will end in December 2007 being promoted by

Constantza Maritime University in order to improve

the people‘s capacity to adapt to the market needs

for maritime and port activities.

The project provides opportunities for critical

issues and developments in MET to be discussed and

resolved in academic and practical ways.

It develops an appropriate system for evaluation

of the maritime skills and knowledge that will

assure:

− imperative requirements for specific marine

activities and for the training in marine activities:

VET for crews on board of ships and people

involved in harbor works.

− fast development of the technologies for ships

and the requirements imposed for specific

training by IMO.

− creation of appropriate and advanced products for

specific training in marine activities, compatible

with the specific requirements of EU & IMO.

− intensive needs to train and re-train worldwide

dispersed seafarers.

− important requirements regarding the training and

re-training of the port workers.

− important VET requirements in the marine fields

for the unemployed people and for people

submitted to re-conversion.

− needs of the integration of the Internet based

training / e-Learning for crews on board of ships,

by creation of the adequate Virtual Centre.

− happy compliance between Internet facilities and

possibilities to face the dispersion of the crews on

board of ships.

− needs of the continuous training of the crews

on board of ships and of the port workers

in synchronism with the advancement of

technologies in the marine fields.

− exploitation of the high level of employment

possibilities offered by the port activities, and the

needs to prepare people for such activities,

− needs to use the employment opportunities

offered by activities in ports and on board of

ships,

− large possibilities to contribute to solve

unemployment issues in the region,

− needs to respond to the increasing of the

competitive levels in marine qualification.

The partnership is coordinated by Constantza

Maritime University and it includes:

− Maritime Faculty or Catalunia Technical

University;

− Harbor School Foundation from Constanta;

− Institute of Projects for Automations SA,

Bucharest;

− ONECO Sevilla, Spain,

− FRAREG Italy;

− Diakrisi, Greece.

The e-Marine project started in March 2006

and will finish in December 2007. Its final product

is a web-based Maritime Centre, a database of

various Maritime and Port activities teaching

and learning materials and seven standards training

for port activities and a centre for evaluation

of competences.

The e-Marine material can be used online in the

college classroom, in distance learning and for self-

study purposes.

The project has been partly funded by EU

Leonardo da Vinci programme.

Those interested in it are welcome to visit the

web-page of the project http://e-marine.org

5 CONCLUSIONS

− The Leonardo da Vinci Project “e-Marine” offers

to all people involved in maritime or port

activities a platform with all the necessary

information.

− The standardization of the qualifications

standards could be the first step through a unique

scale for salary in maritime and port activities in

the European countries ;

− The centre for evaluation for nonformal activities

will be the first in port activities in Romania.

REFERENCES

European Parliament, 2006, Recommendation of the European

Parliament and of the council on the establishment of the

European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning.

Brussels.

Luomi-Messerer K., Markowitsch J., 2006, VQTS model: a

proposal for a structured description of work-related

competences and their acquisition. Vienna.