1) Members now receive a newsletter to which contributions are actively welcomed.
2) Teacher training workshops have been successfully conducted in Singapore and Shanghai. With the financial support of IMO more workshops are planned to meet this clearly identified, high priority need.
3) A new course developed by one member was validated by both document review and a site visit by other members of AMETIAP.
4) Members of the EXCO and the EXECSEC have represented AMETIAP in discussions with IMO, Asian Shipowners Forum (ASF), International Shipping Federation (ISF) and the International Transportworkers Federation (ITF).
5) Members have undertaken staff exchanges and, in at least one case, have formed a business partnership.
In summary AMETIAP is a self-help network with some achievements under its belt however, the time is right for the continued development of AMETIAP to be reviewed in order to provide greater benefits to members.
The Challenges facing MET - the Future
There are three fundamental challenges facing MET. Put simply they can be described as:
- flexible delivery ie providing MET when and where it is required by the customer
- quality ie ensuring that MET is of a standard that properly meets the needs of the customer
- networking ie working together to take advantage of the synergies created by the globalisation of education
In many ways these challenges are inter-linked however, it is convenient to consider them separately.
Flexible Delivery
In today's commercial environment students and employers are particularly concerned with the total costs of training and education. Direct costs, such as course fees, are self-evident and transparent however, indirect costs, such as income foregone, accommodation away from home base etc, may be less evident. As students and employers become more aware of the total costs associated with education and training the challenge for education and training providers is to minimise the costs to the user in a way that does not detract from the quality of the learning experience and the desired outcomes. This is where flexible delivery has its role.
