Colombia Offering Training to Candidates Who Wish to Work in The Cruise Industry

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism (MinCIT), through Fontur and in alliance with Entremar, announces the opening of a call for a training and facilitation program for labor linkage in the cruise industry, an initiative that seeks to strengthen the skills of Colombians to improve their access to job opportunities in international shipping companies.

In addition, this initiative strengthens the employability of the selected people through comprehensive and specialized training that will allow them to obtain the International Navigation Certificate.

It is important to clarify that the ministry does not offer direct jobs or guarantee hiring on cruise ships. Their role is to facilitate the training and accompaniment process, so that participants have the necessary tools and increase their chances of being hired. The final employment relationship will depend exclusively on the requirements of the shipping companies and the profile of each candidate, including their experience, resume, and performance in the selection processes.

The call, which will be open until July 26, is aimed at Colombians of legal age with a conversational level of English and experience or training in areas such as hospitality, tourism, gastronomy, nursing, first aid, aesthetics, swimming, rescue, among others. Those selected must comply with an intensive training process, medical exams, and be available to embark on international cruises for a minimum of three months.

Requirements to Participate

To be part of the process, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be a Colombian citizen over 18 years of age.
• Have a conversational level of English that allows them to interact in international contexts.
• Have education, training, or work experience in areas related to tourism services such as: gastronomy, medical and first aid services, customer service, cleaning services, recreational artists, photographers, administrative services, human resources, and finance.
• If shortlisted, you must present an occupational medical examination certifying fitness for work at sea (this examination is mandatory for embarkation processes, the cost of which is not included in the call for applications).
• Be willing to participate in complementary virtual and in-person training processes and accept occupational support, facilitated by Entremar, during the duration of the project.

Individuals who may not participate:

• Do not have complete documentation required in the call for applications, will not be eligible to apply.
• Have a criminal or immigration record that prevents them from working internationally.
• Have failed the medical examinations required to work onboard cruise ships, according to the cruise line’s standards.
• Have no availability to travel or remain on board for a minimum period of 3 months.

Selection Process

The first step is to apply on the Ministry of Tourism’s website:

Some of the documents that candidates must attach are: a resume in English, a PDF file containing educational and work experience certificates previously recorded on the resume, a document that meets the requirements of the position for which they are applying, and a legible copy of their ID on both sides in PDF format, among others.

Once registered, a document review phase begins to ensure that candidates meet the requirements. After this, the preselected candidates are summoned for interviews, which will be held in the following cities and on the following dates:

• Bogotá: Thursday, July 31.
• Cartagena: Friday, August 1.
• Medellín: Saturday, August 2.
• Sincelejo: Monday, August 4.
• Bucaramanga: Wednesday, August 6.
• Cali: Friday, August 8.
• San Andrés Islands: Saturday, August 9.

After the interviews, the preselected candidates are announced, and the candidates must submit medical examinations to finally enter a training and coaching phase. The cost of this course will be covered by the ministry through Fontur. After this phase, the International Navigation Certificate is processed, and upon obtaining it, the candidate is hired.

This process ensures that Colombians have the necessary tools to perform successfully in a high-level tourism environment, improving their career prospects and quality of life.

Cruise ship. Photo credit: susannp4 from Pixabay.