MaritimeMT

MaritimeMT is a maritime training centre in the Ħal Far Industrial Estate in Birżebbuġa, in the south of Malta, where seafarers, yacht crew and boat owners train for the certificates the industry requires. It teaches everything from the entry-level safety course that every commercial seafarer needs to officer and master qualifications, through three academies: the Small Craft Academy, the Merchant Navy Academy and the Superyacht Academy. Its long-term aim is to become a globally accessible maritime campus offering accredited training and career support.

The culture is built on five values: professional, respect, collaborative, determined and challenge. Staff and directors work as a team to give students support, direction and mentoring, and respect applies equally whatever a person's rank, nationality or religion. Lecturers are operational maritime professionals who want to pass their knowledge to the next generation.

For UK readers the appeal is practical. Malta is an EU member state and a major maritime flag, and the centre offers courses in English, close to the yachting and shipping industry that employs many British crew. It is listed on VisitMalta.co.uk with the island's schools and colleges in Malta, although it is a specialist maritime academy rather than a general school.

Who runs MaritimeMT and how it began

MaritimeMT is the brand name of the MMRTC Society Cooperative Ltd, which is owned by the 16 Malta Maritime Pilots, all of them master mariners with many years at sea. The cooperative was founded in 2011 as the training arm of the pilots, whose focus was training and research for operational pilots. The training proved so rigorous that other sectors of the industry asked the cooperative to train their people too, and what began as an ad hoc arrangement became a one-stop shop offering mentoring, training, research and career development.

The board of directors is made up of captains, with Capt. Terence Farrugia as President, Capt. Marco Portelli as Deputy President and Capt. Stephen Cauchi as Secretary. Day to day the academy is led by its Principal, Capt. Laura Falzon, supported by a Deputy Principal, Mr Francesco Zerafa, a Head of Engineering, senior lecturers, sales and marketing, operations and administration staff, and an e-learning content creator.

Courses for yacht, merchant and small craft careers

The course catalogue is grouped by sector: STCW short courses, small craft deck, merchant deck, superyacht deck and hospitality, engineering, Malta commercial vessel regulations, ship simulation, shore-based and e-learning courses, IMO oil spill response, a summer boot camp and blue economy training. STCW is the international convention that sets minimum training standards for seafarers, and most courses are accredited to that level. Students include aspiring deckhands, stewards, officers, captains, engineers, entertainers and chefs working on any type of vessel.

Longer qualifications include Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch, Officer of the Watch on yachts under 3000GT and Master on yachts under 200GT, 500GT and 3000GT. The academy provides the training and examinations preparation; it does not issue Certificates of Competence or Proficiency, which are obtained from Transport Malta. For recreational boaters there are general purpose hand, boatman and Transport Malta nautical licence courses, and a small craft section for people who want to run a boat in Maltese waters. Specialist programmes include general ship handling and azipod podded propulsion training, IMO oil spill response, tanker cargo operations and a summer boot camp for people exploring a maritime career, and the academy takes part in Erasmus+ projects. Anyone who fancies being afloat afterwards can see Adventure Cruises Malta or our Blue Lagoon guide.

STCW short courses and printed prices

The short courses are the backbone of the offer, and prices are shown on each course page. Basic Safety Training, the five-day entry course that anyone working on a commercial vessel in any capacity must complete, starts from €1,000.00, while its two-day refresher starts from €650.00. Advanced Fire Fighting runs for four days from €1,000.00 with a two-day refresher from €850.00, and Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats runs for four days from €1,200.00, with a one-day refresher from €250.00 that must be taken every five years.

Other courses include Medical First Aid from €750.00 and Medical Care from €900.00 for seafarers designated to look after people on board, ECDIS electronic chart training from €1,200.00, Radar ARPA at management level from €950.00, GMDSS general and restricted radio operator courses, Leadership and Teamwork from €700.00, Crowd Management from €300.00 and Designated Security Duties from €150.00. Tanker courses cover oil and liquefied gas cargo operations. An e-learning course on the IALA maritime buoyage system costs €40.00 including tax. Fees depend on the programme, flexible payment plans may be available for some courses, and the academy accepts cash, bank transfer and online payment. The course content describes training only and nothing here is medical advice.

Facilities, simulators and accreditation

The campus has theatre-style and boardroom lecture rooms, seamanship and engineering workshops, safety and rescue boat training facilities, and a davit-launched fully enclosed lifeboat and life raft. Its Full Mission Bridge Simulators, certified by DNV and fitted with ARPA and ECDIS systems, are used for ship-handling training, and there are further ECDIS and GMDSS simulators. Theory courses are also offered through an online learning platform and, for some refresher courses, live on Microsoft Teams.

The training centre is accredited by Transport Malta, the largest maritime flag in Europe, the largest superyacht flag in the world and the sixth largest merchant flag. The Scottish Qualifications Authority recognises it as a training and examination centre, and DNV accredits it under standard DNV-ST-0029 for maritime training providers. Instructors are master mariners, chief engineers or other maritime professionals with years at sea, and non-maritime subjects are taught by qualified practitioners.

Studying in Malta from the UK

Training programmes are flexible, with accredited courses and bespoke programmes designed around changing industry needs, and funding opportunities are available for some students. The academy is affiliated with international stakeholders and has strategic partnerships with other training centres in Malta and abroad, including its affiliated campus in Athens, which gives crew and shipping companies a route to training in more than one country. Course pages show dates, durations and prices, and a register-interest option is offered when no date is yet scheduled.

International students can get guidance on visa applications, and the team helps find accommodation near the training centre, as there is no on-site housing. Career counselling helps people choose courses, and a jobs board and links with industry stakeholders connect students to employers, although no course guarantees a job. Entry requirements vary, and STCW courses require a minimum age and medical fitness. Our Malta relocation guide covers the move, flights to Malta explains how to get here, and the Malta weather guide helps you plan the season.

Visitors can stay in the capital and enjoy the Valletta guide between sessions, with hotels in Valletta a drive away, and brokers such as 73 Marine can help if you plan to buy a yacht once qualified.

Team building and contacting MaritimeMT

Companies can book a team building session on the bridge simulators, where two teams of up to four people play captain, helmsman, navigator and radio officer, steer through the Valletta breakwater, berth at Pinto Wharf and respond to a man overboard. Rope work, a terrace with open views, meeting and conference rooms and flexible catering are also available.

To ask about a course, funding, a visa or a team day, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to MaritimeMT.