Amrita Vidyalayam organised a career guidance workshop called “Proud to be a Mariner” for Senior Secondary students on July 5, 2019 in the school auditorium. The workshop was conducted by Commodore V.R. Nathan, Consultant with Anglo-Eastern Ship Management (I) Pvt. Ltd. A wonderful visual presentation was shown to the students which gave them a detailed structure of the eligibility criteria for applying to the merchant navy and the career progression of a mariner. The presentation also showed huge ships manned by experienced mariners that carry goods across countries. He spoke in detail about the training structure and selection process which included, among many other factors, age and fitness. “There is no scope for mistakes in the Navy”, he said, emphasizing the significance of the life of a mariner. Salaries can be high, but so are the responsibilities.
Students interacted with him and asked questions about the duration of the jobs at sea. He said that depending on the employer, geographic location and skills, mariners may work primarily on land or at sea. On land, mariners work in offices as well as outdoors in shipyards and transportation hubs. They may be at sea for weeks or months at a time and can work in adverse or even dangerous weather conditions. The students found the session very interesting and were keen to know more about career prospects in the merchant navy.
