Education Training News

On July 4, the NYK-TDG Maritime Academy (NTMA), a merchant marine academy jointly operated by NYK and the Transnational Diversified Group (TDG) near Manila, Philippines, held a commencement ceremony for 80 students, the academy’s 14th batch of graduates.The ceremony was attended by many distinguished guests, including Kazuya Endo, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Japan to the Philippines, and Atty. Jerome T. Pampolina, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Assistant Secretary for Sea-based OFW Concerns.

The IMO is taking action to ensure that ships worldwide are safely managed and operated, with a renewed focus on seafarer issues such as work and rest hours, fatigue and violence and harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault.Meeting in London for its 110th session (18 - 27 June), the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee focused on improving implementation of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code. The Code sets the global standard for safe management…

In a webinar organized by the Maritime Authority of Jamaica this week, some of the top names in the maritime world came together to endorse the International Maritime Organization’s Day of the Seafarer initiative.This year Day of the Seafarer took the theme of ‘My Harassment-Free Ship,’ stating that bullying and harassment was unacceptable in all its forms, with those on the webinar looking at ways bullying could be stamped out.Hosted by Sean Moloney, the panel comprised of Captain Steven Spence (Head of Safety…

The American Maritime Partnership (AMP), the voice of the domestic maritime industry, congratulates the more than 1,100 graduates from America’s maritime academies who make up the Class of 2025. These graduates now join the 650,000 men and women of the American maritime workforce.The 2025 graduates hail from the seven maritime academies in the United States: the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, NY), State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College (Fort Schuyler…

ABS opened the doors on its latest training center, the Hellenic Ship Safety Center in Athens, harnessing the power of new immersive training techniques, game-based learning and virtual reality environments for the Greek shipping community.Greek shipping leaders joined ABS executives at the opening celebration for the new facility that features computer simulation stations, collaboration areas and a training room for virtual reality and game-based scenarios and interaction.The Athens location is the latest in a family of dedicated centers from ABS…

HD Hyundai hosted the Korea–U.S. Leaders Forum on Education and Research on Shipbuilding at its Global R&D Center in Pangyo, Korea, on June 24.The forum was organized as a follow-up to the trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in July last year between HD Hyundai, Seoul National University (SNU), and the University of Michigan (UM) to promote talent development in the shipbuilding industry.HD Hyundai has already partnered with SNU and UM to launch a joint initiative to foster future talent in shipbuilding.The forum was attended by Andrew Gately…

Webb Institute, an undergraduate college specializing in naval architecture and marine engineering, celebrated its 2025 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, June 21, welcoming George Economou, founder of DryShips Inc., the TMS Group, and the owner of Cardiff Marine, as the keynote speaker. The event, held on Webb’s waterfront campus, marked a powerful moment for the graduating class and reaffirmed Webb’s place at the forefront of the resurgent U.S. maritime industry.“It is good to feel like being home despite not having studied here,” said Economou.

“You cannot be a leader if you don’t know what is going on,” says Rik van Hemmen, President of marine consulting firm Martin & Ottaway.van Hemmen, writing in the June issue of Maritime Reporter magazine, recounts of some of his experiences in oil spill response to demonstrate that it’s a truth that is not always recognized.On one salvage operation, a high-ranking government official was laughed out of the room after loudly proclaiming: “I am in charge now, and nothing happens until I say so.” The next thing he said was: “So what are you going to do?” The response?

There are a few stories that I often tell when the subject of leadership in disasters is discussed. I figured I’d put them down on paper so I can stop repeating myself.It was pre OPA90, a single-skin tanker had run over a rock in the Port of New Jersey. It put a hole in the bottom, and heavy fuel oil was draining out the bottom and would do so until the oil head level in the tank would equalize with the waterline. The tanker would hit bottom at low tide, but the hole was small, and quick action would reduce oil in the harbor.

Every mariner knows the routine: alarms sound, crew muster, checklists are followed, and then everyone returns to work. But the question remains—are these mandatory safety drills truly improving onboard safety, or have they simply become boxes to check? The reality is, drills often suffer from predictability and repetition, causing crews to disengage and limiting their effectiveness. This month, we explore how to transform these routine drills into impactful and fresh learning experiences by combining them with microlearning techniques that reinforce skills…

Officials at Fincantieri Marinette Marine hosted University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin and members of her team on May 2 in the Marinette shipyard, 50 miles north of Green Bay.The purpose of the visit was to update the chancellor on the international internship program Fincantieri started last year with engineering students at University of Wisconsin–Madison.FMM’s leader, Jan Allman, was joined by Fincantieri Marine Group CEO, Marco Galbiati, and together…

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding hosted a “signing day” for the 2025 graduates of its Shipbuilder Academy at the shipyard Wednesday, April 30. This year, 43 students were offered full-time positions at Ingalls, marking the beginning of their careers with HII.The “signing day” coincided with National Apprenticeship Day, recognizing the importance of connecting individuals to meaningful careers and assisting employers in building a skilled workforce. Through hands-on training, mentorship…

Whether it’s an unsafe working condition, an equipment failure, or a concern about a colleague’s competency, mariners must feel empowered to voice concerns without fear of retribution. For all the training you invest in, nothing is more important than a mariner using their intuition and instincts, refined over a lifetime at sea, to recognize and act on potential dangers.One way the industry has encouraged this is through Near Miss Reporting, a process meant to catch safety hazards before they turn into incidents.

Students departed this morning to board the Carnival Breeze in Galveston for a five-day learning experience as part of Austin High School’s Maritime Studies Program.From April 17-21, while onboard and underway, senior students will have six hours of classroom time each day that will include engagement with the Captain, Chief Engineer and crew, as well as behind the scenes tours of vessel operations to include the bridge, engine room, galley, steering gear and mooring and anchoring equipment.

As part of ongoing efforts to foster greater equity, diversity and inclusion within the maritime space, NeurodiversAtSea, the Seafarers Hospital Society and The Seafarers’ Charity have launched an industry-first project to provide tailored support to neurodivergent seafarers.The project builds upon research conducted by NeurodiversAtSea which identified a lack of industry support for neurodivergent seafarers, with just two out of 118 survey respondents reporting their employer provided any form of assistance to access formal assessments or diagnosis.

In my 30 years in the industry, I have witnessed firsthand how waste handling on ships remains one of the most underestimated challenges in maritime operations. The problem is not a lack of care—officers and crew members do not want to pollute the oceans. We have previously written about regulatory shortfalls, substandard products, and poor onboard culture as contributing factors to the waste management issues we see today. However, at the core of all these problems is a fundamental lack of knowledge and training.

ABS and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) signed an MoU at Singapore Maritime Week last week to advance innovations in applied research in maritime technology and enhance talent development within the global maritime and offshore industries.The collaboration advances applied research in vessel system design, including ship power simulations with hardware-in-the-loop, shore-to-ship charging technologies and augmented and virtual reality tools for visualizing simulated…

The Global Maritime Forum has launched the Sustainable Crewing Guidelines, nine recommendations to improve life at sea.The guidelines aim to boost working conditions and alleviate the forecasted shortfall of 90,000 trained seafarers by 2026 – a major risk to global supply chains and safety at sea.Co-developed by the Global Maritime Forum’s All Aboard Alliance with a consortium of 12 major shipping companies based on feedback from over 400 seafarers, the guidelines are the culmination…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Dalian Maritime University (DMU) have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance talent development and academic exchange between Singapore and China in the maritime sector.The MOU renewal was signed by MPA Chief Executive, Mr Teo Eng Dih, andProfessor Shan Hongjun, President of DMU. This renewal builds on the successful collaboration established since 2021, and further strengthens talent development and knowledge exchange between both maritime ecosystems.As part of the MOU…

New ABS Singapore Maritime Safety Centre to support immersive training in alternative fuels and safety operationsThe American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have renewed their long-standing partnership with the signing of a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) focused on accelerating maritime innovation, talent development, and regulatory collaboration. The expanded agreement reinforces Singapore’s position as a leading global maritime hub…

HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding division celebrated its newest class of apprentice graduates during a ceremony at the shipyard March 22, 2025. The event recognized the hard work and dedication of the graduates who have completed the three-to four-year program combining classroom instruction with hands-on shipbuilding experience.The Ingalls Shipbuilding apprentice program is a competitive workforce development initiative designed to prepare future shipbuilders through specialized training in one of 15 registered Department of Labor apprentice programs.

HII's Mission Technologies division won a $147m contract to support shipboard and shore-based combat training services for the U.S. Navy.Under the five-year task order, HII will provide engineering support for every aspect of training systems under the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Dam Neck Activity (NSWCDD DNA), including associated hardware, software, subsystems and elements. Tasks will range from integrated training system hardware and software installation…

Electrical systems integrator Alewijnse and the Technical University (TU) Delft joined forces to focus on developing energy conversion solutions that contribute to the green energy transition. Leveraging its expertise in electrification and automation, Alewijnse provides a platform for young professionals from TU Delft to innovate together, addressing the needs of companies in the maritime and industrial sectors.By integrating science, engineering and design, the collaboration supports solutions for various types of ships and industrial installations.