Cape Town - An Italy-based shipping company and Kenya’s State Department for Shipping and Maritime Affairs recently sealed a deal with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) in order to employ over 2 000 Kenyans in the cruise ship business, according to local media this week.
During the second recruitment phase in July 2022, the company announced that 2 000 Kenyans are to be employed in the maritime job market, initially, only 1 000 were set to join the programme, reports news website Kenyans.co.ke.
According to the recruiters, the employment opportunities include cooks, kitchen utility staff, baristas, waiters, pastry chefs, lifeguards, guest relations agents, animators and marine staff.
The Italy-based company is owned by the Aponte family. Gianluigi Aponte is an Italian billionaire businessman, and the founder, owner and chairman of Mediterranean Shipping Company.
The programme, according to Shipping and Maritime Principal secretary Nancy Karigithu, it seeks to employ close to 200 000 Kenyans in the future in order to bridge the unemployment gap, her department said.
In October 2021, the government announced a programme that seeks to help Kenyans secure jobs on board European cruise ships.
The unemployment rate in Kenya decreased to 7.20% in the third quarter of 2020 from 10.40% in the second quarter of 2020, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
Minimum wages in Kenya increased to 15 120 KES/month in 2022, which is around R2 175 68.
IOL