‘Wellbeing should be a mandatory element of maritime training’ – that was the unanimous call from cadets across the Philippines polled at the first Sailors’ Society’s wellness and mental health conference designed exclusively for maritime school students there.
More than 2,400 aspiring seafarers along with top industry experts took part, with 100 per cent of those polled adamant that wellness training was vital for cadets.
All of those polled also said the conference had ‘better prepared them for a future career at sea’ and that they would recommend the event to other cadets considering a career in the maritime industry.
Sara Baade, Sailors’ Society’s CEO, said: “The attendance at this conference and the outcome of the poll clearly illustrates just how much of a priority the colleges and their cadets place around wellness and mental health.
“At Sailors’ Society, we recognise that today’s cadets are tomorrow’s workforce and future leaders and that it is vital crew wellness is cared for right from the start.
“Our grateful thanks go to our gold sponsor, A.M. Nomikos, who made this event possible.”
The virtual event was the third in a ground-breaking series of global Wellness at Sea Maritime Schools’ Conferences hosted by the international maritime welfare charity, with earlier events held in India and Africa. Sailors’ Society’s technical partner for all three events was The UK P&I Club.
A fourth downloadable event will be available for European maritime colleges later this month.
The conferences draw on the charity’s pioneering wellness training and support programme, equipping cadets with the tools to manage their wellbeing and knowledge of how to access help should they need it.
With a bespoke mix of international and local industry experts, they focus on key issues facing cadets today, including crises, such as the war in Ukraine, and diversity.
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Keynote speaker at the Philippines event, Dr Conrad Oca, President of AMOSUP (Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines), said:
“This cadet conference, organised by Sailors’ Society, is an excellent example of just how possible it can be to bring industry stakeholders together with a collective commitment to champion seafarers’ mental health and general wellness – and do this despite the extraordinary challenges before and ahead of us.”
Speakers unique to the Philippines conference, alongside Dr Oca, were Mailyn Borillo, Head of OSM Philippines; Dr Maria Gia B. Sison, Head of the Wellness Center at Makati Medical Center; Atty. Iris Baguilat, President of Dohle Seafront Crewing (Manila) Inc.; and Capt Theodoros Gad, Crew Training and Development Manager at A.M. Nomikos Transworld Maritime Agencies S.A.
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