Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. launched its first training vessel, the Spirit of MOL, at the Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Company in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture. Executives on hand for the launching and christening ceremonies included MOL Deputy President and Director-General of Safety Operations Headquarters Hidehiro Harada. The company will start practical training aboard the vessel in mid-July.
The vessel has a training bridge on floor above the actual bridge. MOL also has about 10 full-time instructors, who will provide education and practical training to 180 trainees per session.
MOL cadets of the same level of training from different nations (the Philippines, India, Russia, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, etc.), will train onboard together. The company believes that intensive training in a cross-cultural atmosphere will not only help those master maritime skills, but also develop a stronger sense of pride and teamwork.
The training vessel will sail out to Manila, where one of the company's main base of human resource in a few days. Filipino and Russian cadets will train onboard as the first cadets of this new training program. Their training voyage, from the Philippines to India, begins on July 16. The first onboard training will last four to six months, and is mainly for the cadets who do not have practical vessel experience.