Sustainable Maritime Competency Readiness: A Cross-Major Study of Indonesian Maritime Cadets in Sea Transportation Management

Abstract

The maritime industry's sustainability transition demands professionals whose competency extends beyond conventional operational and safety skills to environmental literacy, regulatory awareness, and sustainability-oriented professional identity, yet how well Indonesian maritime education prepares cadets for this transition, and whether preparation differs across professional streams, remains unexamined within sea transportation management specifically. This study compares sustainability competency readiness across three maritime major programmes, Nautical, Marine Engine, and Port and Shipping Management, investigating dimensions, differentials, and shared gaps. A qualitative design was employed, drawing on semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with 45 cadets from Malahayati Sea Transportation Institute Jakarta who completed twelve months of practical training (August 2024–September 2025). Cross-major thematic analysis identified four dominant findings: shared sustainability awareness without application, major-specific competency differentials, cross-major sustainability integration deficit, and curriculum-practice misalignment. Sustainability readiness is consistently advanced in aspiration and deficient in operationalisation across all three streams, with differentiated patterns of competency strength across majors, carrying direct implications for integrated curriculum reform.