Competence Management News

Simulation and training solutions provider Wärtsilä Voyage and knowledge and technology solutions provider Ocean Technologies Group (OTG) say they have partnered in an effort to enhance safety and efficiency in the maritime sector.With complementary converging digital technologies and platforms, Wärtsilä Voyage and OTG will provide industry stakeholders an opportunity to be connected on a single end-to-end learning journey, combining on-demand digital training and assessment, virtual and simulation events via cloud-based solutions…

Industry veteran Manish Singh has joined maritime knowledge services group Seagull and Videotel as CEO. Meanwhile, Roger Ringstad assumed the role of Executive Chairman.Acquired by Oakley Capital in May 2019, maritime knowledge services firms Seagull and Videotel collectively serve over 20,000 ships and marine installations globally, helping develop proficiencies for about a million seafarers across international maritime pools and tonnage types.Alex Collins, Partner at Oakley Capital said: “We have a tremendously driven leadership team in Roger and Manish and look forward to backing them in delivering safety at sea and incremental value to our users.

LNG tanker shipmanagement company GasLog LNG Services Ltd. has selected Seagull Maritime’s e-learning material & Competence Management platform for use fleet-wide, in manning offices and online, along with the Crew Evaluation System for its main office in Greece. GasLog LNG Services Ltd. currently operates a fleet of 23 LNG tankers with an extensive new building program underway. “At GasLog we pride ourselves on our outstanding record of safety, both for our people and the environment within which we work.

Competence is a crucial factor in the shipping business. Through its SeaSkill certification services DNV GL helps owners and operators, maritime training providers and test centres to advance crew training and ensure the highest levels of safety on board. The most sophisticated technologies are of limited use if not operated by people who command the appropriate skills. As maritime technology advances so do the demands on crews. Complex on-board systems, shorter turnover times in ports and the ambition to operate vessels as efficiently as possible, requires highly skilled seafarers. “Enhancing crew competence and establishing a strong safety culture is a key concern for many operators in the maritime and offshore sectors.

International classification society RINA Services has launched a new Competence Management System certification which it says helps ship owners and managers to raise the skill levels of their crews and shore staff above the basic statutory requirements. Italy-based PB Tankers is the first company to benefit from the new voluntary certification. RINA’s Competence Management System guides shipowners and managers to develop and maintain high level targeted skills in their ships’ crews and operational shore staff. Its certification benefits them by proving to charterers, authorities, financiers and insurers that the company has a system for ensuring that its crews have the skills and competence required to operate safely and efficiently in today’s complex marine environment.

Seagull Maritime AS has launched the Container Industry Competence Standard (CICS), an assessment and training system covering container vessel operations. The program aims to bring new consistency to competency on-board containerships, following a similar breakthrough from Seagull in the dry bulk sector last year, and earlier competence management system developments for the tanker industry. CICS has drawn on cooperation with Rickmers Shipmanagement GmbH, which offered key insights into cargo handling competencies specific to container vessel operations. The program has already been piloted and is now available for all container operators.

Seagull has released the Bulker Industry Training Standard (BITS), a predefined competence management system for the dry bulk industry. BITS is a computer-based evaluation tool to enhance the competency of officers onboard a ship type whose maintenance, operating and cargo handling practices can be unique. As well as providing a benchmark for industry competence, BITS can be adapted to reflect advanced training standards developed by individual operators. Seagull has worked with leading shipping organizations on harmonized competence standards…

Thome Ship Management has migrated its existing Thome Competence Management System (TCMS) into the Seagull Competence Manager online platform to manage its ever-growing demand for crew training and gap identification. Thome Ship Management is a dynamic provider of integrated ship management services to the international shipping and offshore industries. Based in Singapore, and celebrating 50 years of service, the Thome Group of Companies represents a unique combination of the best elements of Scandinavian shipping tradition with the modern drive of Asian business enterprise.

Capt. Graham Westgarth, who becomes a non-executive Seagull Director, has over 40 years industry experience including 18 years at sea (five years as a Ship’s Master). From 2001 to 2010, he was responsible for Teekay’s 5,000 sea and shore staff and the technical management of 200 vessels, as the company extended beyond its conventional tanker interests to shuttle tankers, FPSOs, FSOs and LNG vessels. He also oversaw development of Teekay’s industry accredited Competence Management System, working closely with Seagull.

Intertanko Chairman and former Teekay President Marine Services Capt. Graham Westgarth has joined the board of Seagull AS, provider of complete training solutions for seafarers. Capt. Westgarth, who becomes a non-executive Seagull Director, has more than 40 years industry experience including 18 years at sea (five years as a Ship’s Master). From 2001 to 2010, he was responsible for Teekay’s 5,000 sea and shore staff and the technical management of 200 vessels as the company extended beyond its conventional tanker interests to shuttle tankers, FPSOs, FSOs and LNG vessels.

Norwegian training specialist Seagull AS has signed a licensing agreement with the International Shipping Federation (ISF), the global employers’ association for shipowners, which will allow Seagull to utilize electronic versions of the widely-used ISF Onboard Training Record Books in conjunction with the Seagull Competence Manager software. The agreement grants Seagull the right to develop an electronic version of all four ISF Record Books and sub-licence these to ship operators who chose to use the Seagull Training Administrator program.

TOKYO—Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) announced the certification of its own seafarer education and training program by Oslo-based Det Norske Veritas (DNV). The MOL Rank Skill Training and Evaluation Program (MOL Rank STEP) received DNV certification for compliance with the Competence Management System (CMS) on April 13. CMS is a management system which improves education programs by identifying gaps between the skills seafarers currently possess and the qualifications needed to fulfill the corporate philosophy. The program also complies with Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operator Ltd (SIGTTO*1) and Tanker Officer Training Standard (TOTS*2) requirements. MOL adopted the MOL Rank STEP Program in 2007.

Pay incentives and better onboard facilities are key requirements for solving shipping’s worsening manpower crisis, according to the chairman of ’s leading manning forum. Organized by Lloyd’s List Events, the 11th European Manning & Training conference takes place in , on May 20-21 on the back of a prolonged shipping boom that now sees demand for seafarers far outstrip supply. Coupled with the developing world’s increase in better paid jobs ashore, the recruitment crunch is being felt even in major crew supply nations like , where maritime academies are struggling to fill just 1,000 places a year. Conference chairman Capt. Kurt Buchholz, managing director of V.Ships (), acknowledges there is a problem but asks: “Is there really a shortage?

Hafslund ASA has hired Ingeborg Aass Holten (42) in the role as Senior Vice President Organizational Development. Holten will be part of Hafslund ASA's Executive Committee and joins the company at the latest 1 May 2004. She will replace Trond Aker who has filled the deputy role since November 2003. Ingeborg Aass Holten joins Hafslund with professional experience from the management consulting company Accenture, where she has worked since August 1997 as Associate Partner. She has been Accenture's specialist within the Human Resources (HR) Practice and she has been responsible for HR-related projects, HR-strategies, personnel management, strategic competence management, leadership development and development of measuring and rewarding systems.

Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy (WLSA) opened a new training center in Jisa, near Pusan in South Korea. The new training center supports the growing use of Wärtsilä engines and propulsion equipment in ships built in Korea. Korean engine builders are leading manufacturers of Wärtsilä RT-flex low-speed engines under licence. Wärtsilä and Hyundai have formed a joint venture company named Wärtsilä Hyundai Engine Company Ltd to manufacture Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel medium speed engines to power large LNG carriers. Korean shipyards are taking more than 80% of the world market for LNG carriers. The new WLSA center is purpose-built to provide training primarily for Wärtsilä RT-flex low-speed engines and Wärtsilä 50DF medium-speed engines for customers' engineers…

Wärtsilä opened a Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy (WLSA) training center at its existing technology school in Khopoli, India. This is the fourth WLSA regional centre of Wärtsilä for global coverage of training and competence management services to ship owners and power plant owners. The other three are in Turku, Finland which opened in January 2006; in Subic Bay, the Philippines, and in Fort Lauderdale, USA. These training centres form the spine in the global network of other locations at which WLSA also provides training services. The WLSA scope of service extends from the basic off-the-shelf, standard product courses to a full range of courses for power plants, ship power and propulsion equipment in connection with competency qualifications.

Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy (WLSA) today opened a new training center in Turku, Finland. This is one step for WLSA in its development program of opening three Academies for global coverage of training and competence management services to the personnel of ship owners and power plant owners. A new training centre was opened at Subic Bay in the Philippines in November 2005 and the third is located in Fort Lauderdale, USA. The Academies will form the spine in the global network of other locations at which WLSA also provides training services. The new WLSA training centre was opened by Tage Blomberg, Group Vice President and Head of the Wärtsilä Service business. The new training centre in Turku will hold nearly 200 courses during 2006 with some 2000 participants from around the world.

Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy has opened the doors of a new training center in Subic Bay in the Philippines on the 30 November 30. The new training center is one in a series of three training centers built for global coverage of training and competence management services in the marine and power plant industries. Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy (WLSA) is part of Wärtsilä Corporation's Service business and is currently planning to operate three Academies where a full scope of training is offered to all ship owners or power plant owners, in addition to six full-product training centres globally. A wide selection of WLSA services can also be accessed through 130 Wärtsilä locations.

Following the recent launch of Wärtsilä's Land and Sea Academy (WLSA) for training all categories of seafarers to today's high skills and competency needs; Wärtsilä is pleased to announce its first major seafarer competence and career management development contract. The specialized chemical logistics provider, Odfjell ASA has signed a four-year contract with WLSA to develop and implement comprehensive training and career path solutions for their seafarers. WLSA will provide Learn@Sea(TM) service which will enable Odfjell to utilize state-of-the-art competence management infrastructure and advanced training logistics support. By partnering with WLSA, Odfjell will be able to optimize its competence and career management program thus achieving the best value and results of their investments.

Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy has taken a major leap in the development of its training services by opening the doors of a new training centre in Subic Bay in the Philippines on the 30 November 2005. The new training centre is one in a series of three training centres built for global coverage of training and competence management services in the marine and power plant industries. Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy (WLSA) is part of Wärtsilä Corporation's Service business and is currently planning to operate three Academies where a full scope of training is offered to all ship owners or power plant owners, in addition to six full-product training centres globally. A wide selection of WLSA services can also be accessed through 130 Wärtsilä locations.