The International Shipsuppliers & Services Association, the trade association for the world’s ship supply industry, has signed an agreement with World Maritime Academy to deliver high quality online training to the global ship supply and procurement sectors.

The ISSA Education Programme brings together the industry expertise and knowledge of ISSA and its member companies with the maritime education and training capabilities of WMA’ to produce some of the highest quality ship supply and procurement courses for ISSA members and non-ISSA members.

Welcoming the agreement, Saeed Al Malik, ISSA President, said the drive for higher standards within quality ship supply coupled with the increased focus of the industry on the environment and the powers of digitalisation, created the perfect backdrop for the launch of an industry-wide education programme dedicated to preserving quality ship supply and procurement well into the future.

“Shipping is changing, and success is as much about knowledge and learning as it is about innovation and cooperation. The ISSA Education Programme will be an important element of ISSA’s work in creating a supply industry that is as attractive to the young and talented today as it will be in the future. Its launch today, echoes the hard work that ISSA is doing though its Green ISSA and ISSA Quality initiatives and will form a strong foundation for training standards in this sector for years to come,” he said.

Dr Katerina Konsta, CEO of WMA, added: “The maritime industry goes through a period of time defined by the acceleration of change, enabled by a growing technology and a considerable geopolitical abnormalities and markets’ fluctuations.

“Our collaboration with ISSA goes beyond innovation. Joining powers and capabilities we enhance learning and we provide utmost quality, core ship supply knowledge and skill to ISSA members, as well as non-members.”

She further added: “We are delighted to be working with an association as important and global as ISSA and look forward to bringing the high quality of training we employ here at the WMA to the fore in preserving a global ship supply and procurement industry of the highest quality.”