The Stiftung Schifffahrtsstandort Deutschland is keeping its training funding for shipowners stable. However, there is an increase in funding for further training measures.
Since 2013, the Stiftung Schifffahrtsstandort Deutschland has been supporting the vocational training of young nautical and technical staff for shipowners at its foundation.
The funding will also be continued this year. “The foundation thus continues to provide reliable support for German shipping companies in their training efforts,” reads a recent statement. The significant increase in the funding amounts for financial support for vocational training in 2023 will now be followed in 2024 by an adjustment to the funding rates for further training measures for the first time in order to cover increased course costs.
Training companies also have the option of submitting a simplified digital application via the foundation’s service portal. In addition, German shipping companies will be able to plan with certainty thanks to the constant redemption fees that have to be paid in the course of flagging out.
Redemption amounts for shipowners unchanged
The funding amounts and conditions for financial support for the vocational training of nautical and technical maritime personnel will remain largely unchanged after the funding amounts were already significantly increased for the funding year 2023: On application, companies can receive €8,000 per quarter in financial support from the foundation for the training of junior officers and €3,500 per quarter for the training of ship mechanics, nautical, technical and electrotechnical officer assistants. “In this way, the foundation is making an important contribution to companies providing training in order to support them in their efforts to secure the next generation,” the foundation continued.
Applications for financial support for vocational training 2024 can be submitted immediately. There is a plus for financial support for
training measures in 2024 – applications can be submitted to the foundation from the beginning of March.
Maintaining and expanding maritime expertise is considered a “core concern of the foundation’s offer” for the financial support of further training measures (courses) for shipowners. In addition to traditional training measures, the foundation has also been funding inter-company training courses since 2022.
For the 2024 application year, the funding amounts for the financial support of training measures will be adjusted for the first time in order to cover increased course costs. The maximum eligible amount per training measure will be significantly increased to €3,600 for 2024 and the total financial support per beneficiary to a maximum of €4,600. The maximum amount of financial support for inter-company training courses will also be increased to €3,200.
Financial support for training is an important element for shipowners when choosing a flag. The various measures are intended to help strengthen the German flag and compensate for supposed or real disadvantages compared to other ship registers. According to Christian Bubenzer, “Flagging-in Manager” at the responsible BG Verkehr, the criticism of “costs” is no longer correct. The authority under the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministry of Transport also wants to reduce bureaucratic obstacles, invest in digitalization and improve service. To this end, new rounds of talks are currently underway with shipowners, financiers and other maritime stakeholders, as Bubenzer explains exclusively on the HANSA PODCAST.
