The UK Hydrographic Office, under the Admiralty brand, has extended its global ECDIS training campaign, which offers qualified bridge officers around the world the opportunity to win generic ECDIS training, making a further 100 training places available.
The additional sponsored training places are a result of the popularity of the campaign, which has now seen the initial 100 training places awarded to mariners worldwide. The next draws of this extended campaign will take place in December 2012 and March 2013, with 50 bridge officers being awarded each time.
The need for ECDIS training remains a major issue for the maritime industry. According to the assessment by UKHO, at least 160,000 officers require ECDIS training; although some estimates1 place that figure as high as 200,000.
The training places campaign offers qualified bridge officers, of international trading ships, the chance to win a place on a generic ECDIS training course based on the IMO Model Course 1.27 (Operational use of ECDIS). The Admiralty ECDIS training campaign is part of a series of initiatives from the UKHO which are designed to help the maritime community safely and successfully integrate digital navigation into ship and shore-side operations.
Chief Executive of the UK Hydrographic Office, Ian Moncrieff CBE, comments, “To realise the benefits of ECDIS navigation, it is essential that bridge officers are competent and feel confident in the technology and data at their disposal. Comprehensive ECDIS training, based on the IMO Model Course, is the first step in that process. Our campaign is designed to help raise awareness of the value and importance of ECDIS training, and we are delighted to be able to help a further 100 bridge officers prepare for a digital future of navigation.”
Qualified bridge officers can enter the draw to win a place on a generic ECDIS training course via the campaign website or the Admiralty Facebook page.