ECO Canada and the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), Kingston, Jamaica have officially signed a transformative academic partnership to accelerate upskilling, certification, and employment in the environmental sector throughout Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region.

The agreement, formalized during the opening ceremony of CMU’s Industry/Academics Conference 2025 in New Kingston, marks a major milestone in regional efforts to build capacity in the green and blue economy sectors.

Under this partnership, CMU will deliver ECO Canada’s Sustainable Blue Economy Professional (SBEP) certification, equipping professionals with internationally recognized credentials that demonstrate expertise, leadership, and a commitment to sustainable ocean and marine practices.

“We are very proud at ECO Canada to be partnering with CMU in advancing skills, knowledge, and professional standards that will shape the future of our ocean economy. This marks an important milestone, recognizing both individuals and the institution at CMU for their commitment to excellence.” said Kevin Nilsen, President and CEO of ECO

“We are celebrating another milestone, one that speaks to the future of work in the Caribbean. It means that professionals across the Caribbean – engineers, port managers, marine biologists, energy specialists – will now be able to train and certify to international standards in the blue economy,” Archibald Gordon, Director of Marketing and Communications at CMU.

ECO Canada has accredited four post-secondary programs at CMU aligned with the blue and green economy:

• Bachelor of Science in Marine Technology

• Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering

• Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation

• Bachelor of Science in Cruise Shipping and Marine Tourism

CMU is the first Caribbean institution to receive this accreditation, positioning it as a regional leader in sustainability-focused maritime education.

“This is more than a celebration…it is a statement of confidence in CMU’s capacity to shape the future of the blue economy in this region and globally,” added Kevin Nilsen.

The signing ceremony was attended by key leaders driving this initiative, including:

• Kevin Nilsen, President and CEO, ECO Canada

• Dr. Yogendra Chaudhry, Vice President, Professional Services & ESG, ECO Canada

• Dr. Devant Maharaj, Director of Professional Services, ECO Canada

• Professor Andrew Spencer, President, CMU

• Dr. Ibrahim Ajagunna, Deputy to the President, CMU

• Keisha Walker, CMU Registrar

The event also welcomed His Excellency Mark Berman, Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica, whose presence highlighted the diplomatic significance and strong Canada–Jamaica collaboration behind this initiative.

Together, ECO Canada and CMU are unleashing a wave of collaboration that will shape the future of environmental sustainability, maritime innovation, and workforce development across the Caribbean.

**About ECO Canada: **

ECO Canada is the steward of the Canadian environmental industry. From job creation and wage funding to training and labour market research – we champion the end-to-end career of an environmental professional. We aim to promote and drive responsible, sustainable economic growth within the industry while ensuring that environmental care and best practices are priorities. Over the past 30 years, we have forged academic partnerships, tools, and research to train and certify environmental job seekers and help fill the labour market.

We work alongside government, policymakers, academia, students, employers, professionals, industry, and international audiences to ensure we support Canada as a global leader in innovative workforce solutions and job creation. We remain the go-to source in the environmental labour market; our research provides unmatched statistics and analysis on the industry’s economic and labour trends that identify workforce gaps.

**About CMU **

The Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) is Jamaica’s premier institution for maritime education, training, research, and consultancy. Located in Kingston, Jamaica with additional satellite campuses, CMU is the only internationally-approved maritime university in the Western Hemisphere. Its academic structure includes faculties such as Engineering & Applied Technology, Marine & Nautical Studies, and Shipping & Logistics, all of which offer industry-aligned, research-oriented programs aimed at producing globally competitive graduates.

Media Contact for ECO Canada:

Aaron Wilson, VP, Marketing & Sales

P 403.906.3126 | E awilson@staging.eco.ca