Filipino seafarers will continue to be needed in global shipping despite growing automation and technological changes, Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said during a visit to the Norwegian Training Center (NTC) in Manila, Manila Times reports.
“There will still be a need for people on ships,” Eide said, while noting that future seafarers will need more advanced skills to operate increasingly digital and environmentally friendly vessels.
He highlighted that the maritime industry is moving towards greener fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen, which require new safety standards and specialised training.
The visit underlined the long-standing maritime partnership between Norway and the Philippines. More than half of the people employed on Norwegian-owned ships are Filipinos, and Norway has supported maritime education and training in the country for decades.
Eide said preparing workers for technological change is essential: “If you build the technology of the future, you also need to build the people of the future.”
The Norwegian Training Center continues to provide digital and technical training to help Filipino seafarers adapt to the changing global shipping industry.
