Necessity of Intercultural Training Program in MET

Outwardly, the people in the shipping industry are aware that multicultural working environments and conditions could have a strong influence on the operation of ships. With a lack of cultural awareness and foreign language skill of crew members on ships, there are lots of misunderstandings and miscommunications among (cross-cultural) crews. More and more maritime accidents are caused by human error in the world's oceans. Nevertheless the research on cultural diversity and human interaction on ships is still in its infancy. Due to the rapid change of the demographic make-up of crews, not only teaching and training technical skills for the crews, but also education in nontechnical skills such as cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity, intercultural competence is urgently needed. This study will deal with intercultural issues on ships. It aims to emphasize the necessity of intercultural training in MET.