“Wellness should be a mandatory part of maritime training” – that was the unanimous call of cadets across the Philippines interviewed at the Sailors’ Society’s first wellness and mental health conference designed exclusively for maritime school students there.
More than 2,400 aspiring sailors as well as top industry experts attended, with 100% of those surveyed emphatically saying that wellness training was vital for cadets.
All interviewees also said that the conference had “prepared them better 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, CEO of the Sailors’ Society, said, “Attendance at this conference and the survey results clearly illustrate how colleges and their cadets are prioritizing wellness and mental health.
“At the Sailors’ Society, we recognize that today’s cadets are tomorrow’s workforce and future leaders and that it is essential that the welfare of the crew is taken care of from departure.
“Our thanks go to our gold sponsor, AM Nomikos, who made this event possible.”
The virtual event was the third in a groundbreaking series of global maritime school welfare conferences organized by the international maritime welfare charity, with earlier events held in India and Africa.
The 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.
Lectures build on the charity’s pioneering wellbeing training and support programme, equipping cadets with the tools to manage their wellbeing and how to access help when needed .
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.
Keynote speaker at the event in the Philippines, Dr. Conrad Oca, President of AMOSUP (Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines), said:
“This cadet conference, hosted by the Sailors’ Society, is a great example of how industry stakeholders can be brought together with a collective commitment to championing the mental health and general well-being of sailors – despite the extraordinary challenges before and before us.”
Unique speakers at the Philippines conference, alongside Dr. Oca, were Mailyn Borillo, Head of OSM Philippines; Dr. Maria Gia B. Sison, wellness center manager at Makati Medical Center; Atti. Iris Baguilat, President of Dohle Seafront Crewing (Manila) Inc.; and Capt Theodoros Gad, Crew Training and Development Manager at AM Nomikos Transworld Maritime Agencies SA
Source: Seamen’s Society
