Carnival Cruise Line is partnering with the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) and college and school network STI to assist Filipinos in taking up maritime studies, according to a press release.

According to Carnival, PMMA will provide training programs in several merchant marine fields to prepare Filipino students for shipboard training on Carnival ships, as well as collaborate with the cruise line in selecting students for cadetships, internships, and other employment opportunities.

Bettina Deynes, senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Carnival Cruise Line, and Richard Brearley, vice president of crew and travel operations, recently visited Manila to announce the partnership.

“Along with bringing a lot of expertise and knowledge, the Filipino community is strong among Carnival’s shipboard team members and embodies our values and brand essence of having fun, so Carnival wants to go beyond providing traditional roles. We want to broaden the roles that they are qualified to fill including non-traditional roles such as those within nautical operations,” commented Deynes.

STI Educational Services Group and STI Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Institute will create a curriculum for culinary and housekeeping courses in the country’s capital. Then, STI NAMEI graduates in marine transportation and marine engineering will be considered for potential employment with Carnival.

Carnival and recruitment agency United Philippine Line have worked together to create a system aimed at developing potential seafarers outside of Manila. In addition, the company is partnering with its recruiting partner, United Philippine Lines, to develop a system to train potential seafarers in various regions of the Philippines. As a result, the partnership will provide opportunities for maritime students not only from Manila but also from other parts of the country.

“With our partnership with Carnival, our students can be confident that they will get the best training and they have somewhere to go once they graduate,” said Monico Jacob, president and chief operations officer, STI ESG.