Figure 16: Enrolment trends in seagoing MET programmes in the selected institutions in Africa (n = 6 institutions)
Enrolment rates in two seagoing programmes were also analysed, revealing significant variations across maritime institutions. that includes structured, onboard training as part of its curriculum must accumulate a specified amount of practical experience at sea. This study considered programmes with mandatory sea time such as marine engineering and nautical science. In contrast, shore-based maritime courses without required onboard training such as maritime transport and logistics, management and naval architecture, as well as short courses and professional development training, were excluded from this analysis. The differences in enrolment rates reflect institutional focus, regional priorities and students' interests, as wellas other diverse factors influencing enrolment in these programmes. For instance,since their establishment, MET institutions have played a pivotal role in developing academic and vocational skills to support the growth of the blue economy. based career opportunities for engineers, making engineering education more attractive (Dinwoodie, 2000; Lau & Ng, 2015). Marine engineering courses are often preferred due to their prestige,lucrative career prospects and high industry demand. In addition, engineering professions, including marine engineering, are widely regarded as high value due to their technical complexity, innovation and problem-solving nature. Moreover, marine engineering careers tend to be well-paying, offering competitive salaries