Project Assistant：KUO,CHIA-YU

    To help students to understand Taiwan’s shipping industry, the Taiwan Marine Education Center organized and hosted the 2022 Marine Career Student Experience Camp with the support of the Affiliated Keelung Maritime Senior High School of National Taiwan Ocean University and the Yang Ming Cultural Foundation. The first day of the camp kicked off with a classroom introductory session that enabled students to gain a preliminary understanding of the shipping industry; in the afternoon, the students visited the YM Oceanic Culture and Art Museum, where they were educated on the history of shipping and the diversity of ships that are operated. In addition, the students were given the opportunity to view Keelung Harbor from the sea, where they observed the loading and offloading operations performed by bridge cranes and learned to identify the various types of ships (e.g., container ships and bulk carriers) that were moored in the harbor. The combination of a static classroom session and an outdoor harbor visit allowed the students to familiarize themselves with shipping industry operations and view these operations firsthand, which left a deep impression on the students. On Day 2, the students boarded Yu-Ying No.2, a training ship used to provide maritime education. Guided by the ship’s captain, Jiann-Shun Lee, and its crew, the students toured the ship and visited its bridge and engine control room to learn about the responsibilities of various members of the ship crew. During a career seminar, crew members shared their career stories to provide the students with insights regarding the lives and tasks of the ship’s crew. Finally, an introductory session on the channels for pursuing further studies and employment in this career field was held; the session provided the students with the information they required to start planning for a career in this field. Some of the students expressed a preference for an engine room–based position, where they could work with mechanical components; some preferred a deck-based position because they liked the feeling of navigating a ship. The camp achieved its goals, that is, generating interest in the shipping industry among the students and helping them explore the possibility of building a career in this field. The camp achieved these goals by introducing the students to shipping industry operations and providing them with opportunities to interact with professionals with firsthand experience in this industry.