Training Program News

A new union deal aims to help bolster the workforce of the U.S. Navy shipbuilding and repair industrial base, which has struggled alongside many other sectors to attract and retain the volume of employees needed to achieve efficient operations.The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB) and the Bartlett Maritime Corporation (BMC) have signed an agreement as part of ongoing efforts to mobilize skilled workers across the Midwest in support of critical Navy programs.It permits…

Simulation-based training has its whole-of-ship/whole-of-team scenarios, but zooming in, the industry is now working on more specific targets.We have a close relationship with technology, evidenced by, for example, the phones we are estimated to unlock around 50-80 times a day. It has changed us. Half the people surveyed in a 2022 King’s College London study said that they feel like their attention span is shorter than it used to be. They are wrong, though, if they think that the average attention span of adults today is just eight seconds, one second less than goldfish.

Simulation-based training has its whole-of-ship/whole-of-team scenarios, but zooming in, the industry is now working on more specific targets.We have a close relationship with technology, evidenced by, for example, the phones we are estimated to unlock around 50-80 times a day. It has changed us. Half the people surveyed in a 2022 King’s College London study said that they feel like their attention span is shorter than it used to be. They are wrong, though, if they think that the average attention span of adults today is just eight seconds, one second less than goldfish.

NYK has secured certification from ClassNK for Japan’s first training program for crew members of offshore wind industry crew transfer vessels (CTVs).The training is scheduled to be conducted at the Akita School of Wind and Sea training center in Oga City, Akita Prefecture, from April - offering three programs in total.The certification from Class NK is for simulator-based training for operating CTVs, which confirms that the training program meets quality and international standards after a review of the training framework…

The maritime industry accounts for more than 90% of global trade and employs over 3 million people in the United States, and like other modes of transportation, our industry encounters unique risks. Waterfront workers are exposed to various hazards such as heavy machinery, hazardous substances, extreme weather and long hours. If not properly managed, these hazards can result in serious injuries, illnesses and even fatalities. That is why ensuring the safety of waterfront workers is a top priority for all of us who work in the maritime industry.

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) has implemented SkillGrader for simulation assessment in the Naval Officer Training Centre’s Navigation and Bridge Simulator (NABS) environment.Developed by Marine Learning Systems (MLS), SkillGrader will gather, store and report training metrics from student assessments. The project supports the RCN’s efforts to continuously enhance the quality of professional development of their Naval Warfare Officers.SkillGrader is a first of its kind tablet-based…

Korean Register (KR) has launched KR-Real360, a 360-degree XR (eXtended Reality)-based ship education and training program.KR-Real360 has been developed to provide users with the educational information necessary for ship operation and maintenance using the latest XR technology. Users can effortlessly locate educational resources, such as operation manuals, survey data, and checklists, available in diverse formats including images, text, PDFs, and videos within the ship's virtual reality environment…

Japanese companies Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and MOL Marine & Engineering Co. (MOLMEC) said Wednesday they would launch a training program using the Dynamic Positioning (DP) System simulator, targeting crewmembers of self-elevating platform (SEP) vessels and service operation vessels (SOVs), which will support offshore wind power generation projects. The two firms aim to complete the program and open the course at the MOL DP Training Center by the end of 2023.MOL said the training program would be open to a wide range of applicants from Japan and overseas…

GTT has signed a Technical Services Agreement (TSA) with the CMA CGM Group for maintenance and operation services for 49 biomethane and e-methane ready LNG-powered container vessels all equipped with GTT's Mark III, Mark III Flex and Recycool technologies.The agreement includes GTT on-site technical assistance for inspection, maintenance, repairs, operations and engineering services. GTT Training will offer its extensive training program for onshore personnel and CMA CGM sea going crew.

Offshore installation services company Jan De Nul has ordered an extra-large cable-laying ship with an "unrivaled" cable-carrying capacity from China's CMHI Haimen shipyard.The vessel, to be named Fleeming Jenkin, will have a cable-carrying capacity of 28,000 tons, and will serve the renewable energy and subsea cable industry in installing cables over longer distances and in deeper waters. The vessel will be delivered in 2026. "Offshore wind farms go deeper and further offshore, and the interconnectivity between countries and regions become essential for the economy and energy security.

The quest to build a series of five National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMVs), which will serve as training ships for five U.S. maritime academies, has drawn a broad cadre of suppliers. The powerplant was a main focus, helping to evolve the schools from steam power plants to a modern propulsion package.NSMVs being built for the maritime academies is widely lauded as a ‘win’ for U.S. shipbuilding, an example of commercial shipbuilding practices applied to a government shipbuilding project.

Canadian ship repair and construction company Heddle Shipyards has teamed up with Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario for the Try-A-Trade: Ship Repair and Fabrication Program.The training program through Mohawk College covers technical skills development, health and safety training, literacy and basic skills assessment, as well as employability skills development.Students will then complete an eight-week paid placement at Heddle Shipyards, rotating through departments like blasting and painting…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its accident investigation report into the fatal engine room fire on board Moritz Schulte on August 4, 2020, citing training issues.On 4 August 2020, a fire broke out in the engine room of the liquefied petroleum gas/ethylene carrier Moritz Schulte when the recently promoted third engineer opened an auxiliary engine’s pressurised fuel filter allowing marine gas oil to spray onto an adjacent auxiliary engine’s hot…

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) and methanol consulting firm Green Marine have signed a cooperation agreement to develop a methanol bunkering training program, with support from the Methanol Institute.The cooperation agreement aims to ensure bunker tanker crews and bunker surveyors are competent and ready for methanol bunkering on a larger scale. The plan is to commence the training in Singapore first and expanding globally in 2024.“Through strategic training and partnerships…

Sturgeon Bay, Wis. shipyard Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS) is expanding its partnership with a local technical college in an effort to advance the maritime manufacturing industry and meet growing workforce demand within the region.In fall 2022, FBS and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) designed a specialized training program for FBS employees to advance their welding and ship/pipe-fitting techniques. Since the launch, 97 participants have successfully completed this five-week course offered through the NWTC Sturgeon Bay campus.

The Methanol Institute has welcomed multi-disciplinary methanol consultancy GREEN MARINE as its latest member. The Denmark-headquartered company has recently finalised a specialist training program for crew onboard methanol dual-fuel vessels.A recent report commissioned by the Maritime Just Transition Task Force Secretariat predicts a rise in the number of seafarers needing training on alternative fuel technologies in the 2040s to between 310,000 and 750,000 people.The curriculum…

For companies active in all parts of the commercial maritime sector, finding and holding onto the workers they need to build, operate and service the industry’s wide range of vessels has been challenging. Simply put, the labor market is tight, and the problem is not getting any easier to solve.Mike Ellis, CEO at American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL), said a continued shortage of qualified personnel has been the most pressing issue for ACBL—and probably for the barging industry as a whole. “There's been so much demand on people.

St. Johns Ship Building (SJSB) is working to attract the next generation of skilled shipyard workers.The Palatka, Fla. shipbuilder announced it has introduced a comprehensive vocational training program designed to cultivate a variety of sought-after marine and shipbuilding crafts and trades. The program will be progressively rolled out, with each stage focusing on different skill sets and timeframes.The initial six-week course aims to provide workers with the essential skills required in the industry.

An offshore wind hub is coming to the site of the former Avondale Shipyard in Louisiana as the region ramps up to service the growing renewable energy industry in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.New Orleans-based Gulf Wind Technology (GWT) announced Monday it is collaborating with energy supermajor Shell to establish a research, training and technology demonstration program at GWT’s facility within the Avondale Global Gateway in Jefferson Parish.The news comes after the Biden administration…

We talk a lot about assessment and how to get it right. But in order to make good decisions about testing, we have to understand why we test in the first place - and the answer is not what most people think. This is a problem because knowing the answer is critical to designing an effective training and assessment program. It informs all aspects of testing from the length and makeup of tests to what we test, how we test, when we test, and whether a test needs to be proctored.When asked why we test trainees…

Marine Group Boat Works (MGBW), a family-owned boat repair and construction facility, is pleased to announce that 30 of its boatbuilders recently graduated from MGBW’s in-house Welding Certification Program. The Welding Program was launched in 2021 with support from a Small Shipyards Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD). In total, $859,250 was spent to develop the curriculum, secure an instructor, equip the welding classroom and…

Boluda Towage has started towing services at the German port of Lubmin for the first installation of a floating LNG storage plant.The Deutsche ReGas LubminLNG import terminal will become the first operational FSRU-based facility in Germany. The floating storage and regasification unit is based inside the port of Lubmin, where an existing gas pipeline allows for a quick connection.In mid-December 2022, the 2009-built 145,000-cbm FSRU Neptune arrived in Germany’s port of Lubmin to serve the new LNG import terminal.

Gen Z is looking for a place to fit in the workplace. They are looking for a way to enhance their story while they are making a difference in the world. And you are looking for someone to fill a position. How does your need dovetail with their needs?Before we get into the training aspect, it is worth understanding who you are going to be training. What are your company’s core values? Are the people that you are hiring in line with them?What are core values? They are the beliefs and principles that drive your business.