Minister vows to support shipping education

Deputy Minister for Shipping Marina Hadjimanolis assured she would continue supporting all partners to create a shipping education culture, as maritime is a significant sector for the Cypriot economy.

Addressing an event on the 45th anniversary of the Cyprus Business School, the first institution to offer academic degrees in shipping, Hadjimanoli said it is a vital sector for the national economy, contributing 7% of GDP, while Cyprus is the largest EU ship management centre and one of the five largest globally.

“Cyprus is a modern, quality and complete shipping cluster which ranks among the first globally,” the Deputy Minister said.

She added that more than 35,000 seafarers are employed on the Cypriot-flagged ships, while over 9,000 are employed in administrative services, corresponding to 3% of the Cyprus labour force.

She revealed that shipping companies in Cyprus have risen from 273 to 302 last year.

Hadjimanolis said her Deputy Ministry would continue supporting the cultivation of an education culture for future professionals in the shipping industry.

Noting that Cypriot shipping needs skilled and specialised graduates in all aspects of the industry, Hadjimanolis argued that professions associated with shipping are future-proof jobs with great prospects.