The Nautical College of Akko is an infrastructure and knowledge center for the State of Israel that prepares its graduates for naval command. The skills acquired also position the graduates for senior leadership roles in the Israeli merchant navy and in strategic maritime organizations that are vital to Israel’s security and resilience.
Despite Israel’s absolute dependence on maritime trade, which constitutes approximately 99% of its trade volume (import and export), there are only 35 ships currently registered to Israel, and only approximately 10% of these vessels are crewed by Israelis. There is currently a shortage of about 250 officers in the merchant navy, and the trend is in decline. There is a projected global shortage of 85,000 officers within the next five years, with other positions likewise affected.
At the Nautical College of Akko, we train our graduates for these and other positions through long-standing collaborations not only with the Israeli navy, but also with leading shipping companies, the Ports Authority and international schools. These collaborations offer the cadets an opportunity for hands-on experience through paid employment alongside their studies, where they acquire the practical skills for maritime work.
Thus, for example, upon completion of their studies in the specific study tracks, the graduates are able to join the navy in key positions (including as practical engineers), whilst obtaining an international STCW certificate allowing them to work in the Israeli ports of Ashdod, Haifa and Hadera, and any port in the world.
Some classes are run in collaboration with the Maritime Academy High School in Amsterdam as well as with the Maritime Training School, the naval academy in Varna, Bulgaria.
