Korea Shipowners' Association launches pre-boarding training for foreign officers in Indonesia

As the number of foreign officers serving on Korean-flagged vessels grows, a pilot program has been launched for the first time to train them locally — before they board — on Korean shipboard culture, safety regulations, and navigation and engineering practices.

The Korea Shipowners' Association said Wednesday it recently held a pre-boarding job competency training program for about 30 Indonesian maritime officers at a maritime university in Jakarta, ahead of their assignments on vessels operated by Korean shipping companies.

The program was designed to reduce the cultural and operational gaps foreign officers may encounter after joining Korean ships and to help them adapt more quickly to onboard duties. The association said the growing role of foreign officers in the Korean-flagged fleet made it necessary to begin training before, rather than after, they board.

The curriculum was divided into a common course taken by all participants and separate tracks for navigation and engineering officers.

The common course covered Korean shipboard organizational culture, generational communication styles and workplace etiquette. It also included practical training on port state control, the system by which foreign port authorities inspect visiting vessels for compliance with safety and environmental standards.

The navigation track focused on skills needed for actual vessel operations. Trainees learned voyage planning and how to use the Electronic Chart Display and Information System, and completed both theoretical and hands-on sessions using a ship-handling simulator. Safety equipment management — including firefighting and life-saving gear — was also part of the curriculum.

Engineering officers studied onboard electrical systems and engine operation. Alongside practical engine-operation drills, they were introduced to the basic structure and operating principles of electronically controlled engines now widely used on modern vessels.

The program was jointly developed by the Korea Shipowners' Association, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, and the Jakarta maritime university. The industry-academia ETRS Center at Korea Maritime and Ocean University designed the curriculum around tasks that Korean shipping companies actually require and provided operational support.

The association said it plans to explore expanding the project beyond a one-time event. It will first assess satisfaction levels among the trained officers and the shipping companies that hire them, as well as how well the officers adapt after boarding, before deciding whether to establish the program on a regular basis.

Yang Chang-ho, standing vice president of the Korea Shipowners' Association, said the early adaptation and practical competency of foreign officers joining Korean-flagged vessels are directly linked to safe ship operations. "After verifying the satisfaction and effectiveness of this pilot project among participating shipping companies and trainees, we plan to consider expanding the education program and making it a regular fixture over the long term," he said.