Kongsberg Maritime Launches Remote DPO Training

As the maritime world continues to turn to digital technologies to help maintain business operations amid the coronavirus pandemic, Kongsberg Maritime is planning to digital platforms to ramp up remote delivery of targeted training.

The Norwegian tech company says it is now offering basic Dynamic Positioning Operator (DPO) courses fully remotely from start to finish, including the practical part of the training.

Using virtual machines, students can engage in practical exercises with a remote K-Pos trainer, in addition to completing theory and assessment modules online. Kongsberg says the hands-on experience is fully compliant with the DNV GL DPO preparation course and is the first remotely-delivered DPO training ever to be approved by The Nautical Institute for their DP Induction course.

DPO courses are often requested by ship owners on behalf of their trainees, and also by self-sponsored candidates. By enabling students to complete the course from their home or office using cloud-based K-Pos trainer consoles, Kongsberg is making training more accessible by removing both the disruption and expense caused by traveling.

Delivery of remote training – already a focus for Kongsberg Maritime – has been accelerated by the COVID-19 health crisis and is likely to become the main method of training in the future, the company says. Applicable to all vessels and industries using DP, the course material is made available online, with competence assessments at each stage provided either by Kongsberg or by a third party.