Accreditation of Prior Learning with UoM

On Tuesday 18 December 2018, the MPA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Mauritius (UoM) to serve the training needs and enhance the competencies of professionals in the port sector. The MoU has been reached with a view to running the following projects:

• Certificate in Port Management

• Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)

• Collaboration with other overseas training institutions to build capacity

The objective of the MoU is to support the maritime and port sector in its quest for adequate qualified manpower in the growing and emerging business segments for the recruitment of future talents; and levelling and upgrading the skills of the present staff

The MPA is positioning itself to emerge as a new hub in the Indian Ocean and is investing extensively in infrastructure and human capital to give the country a competitive edge. The UoM will use APL to validate the existing knowledge and competencies of the MPA employees against a proposed Certificate in Port Management, which is equivalent to the basic skills and qualifications that staff working at the port should possess. The proposed programme will then be used as a stepping stone to mount other programmes at specialist level. This will ensure a levelling out to ensure that staff of the MPA can be mainstreamed in the future, especially those who do not necessarily meet the entry requirements to join a University programme but have extensive work experience.

The APL will be used to measure where these employees stand with regard to the basic knowledge base that they should possess as staff of MPA to ensure that the MPA can meet its vision and mission.

Given that the profile of the potential candidates will be heterogeneous, the proposed programme has a ‘tronc commun’ and will then include some specialist modules to cater for the different potential profiles of employees (HR, Management, Technical, Accounting, etc.). For those who successfully clear the APL process, they will be awarded the Certificate in Port Management. Those who do not clear one or more module/s may be asked to follow bridging classes.

The rationale for launching the APL project at the MPA is multi-fold:

• recognising and valuing the knowledge, skills of these employees who contribute enormously to the organisation;
• assessing the gaps in their inventory of skills, competencies and attitudes against the Certificate in Port Management, which englobes the basic skills that staff o MPA should possess; and
• inculcating the culture of lifelong learning among its employees.