Maritime education program revamped in Faroe Islands to shorten deckhand training time

Individuals aspiring to become deckhands will now attend school for six months instead of an entire year.

A working group has recommended restructuring the maritime education program into modules. This new framework allows students to complete the deckhand portion of their training separately from the engineering component.

The aim is to enable students to finalize their studies in deckhanding within six months, as opposed to the current requirement of one year to complete the entire curriculum.

The working group presented its recommendations to the Minister of Children and Education, Djóna Nolsøe Joensen, suggesting a review of the maritime education program at the vocational school in Klaksvík.

The industry has long requested a more streamlined pathway to fully qualify as a deckhand on commercial vessels, given the significant demand for more workers from the Faroe Islands on board.