The International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC) has commissioned Ocean Technologies to develop a competency management system (CMS) focused on seafarer ratings
This will be exclusive to IMEC members, but designed to be compatible with both Ocean and other CMS solutions.
This CMS will cover the competency of seafarer ratings to assess their existing levels and map out a clearly defined path of the proficiencies needed for promotion within rating level ranks. It will give seafarers options for different career paths, depending on their preferences, while covering the core skills for specific ranks.
This CMS will follow required competencies under the IMO’s Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping, such as safety and security.
“IMEC’s training committee identified a differing approach to ratings’ training over recent years,” said IMEC head of training and operations Adam Lewis.
“Whereas historically, high-achieving ratings were encouraged to become officers, the current trend is for the upskilling ratings’ competencies, in response to more complex onboard operations,” he explained.
IMEC’s new CMS will draw on the expertise of shipping companies and Ocean. Mr Lewis expects this will lead “to safer working environments and also career advancement of potentially many thousands of seafarers,”
Seafarers will be encouraged to use the CMS on an ongoing basis allowing IMEC members to track and assess their rating’s progress.
Ocean creative director Raal Harris expects this CMS will enable IMEC members to access a comprehensive set of competencies covering ranks such as oiler, engine fitter, cook and pumpman.
“These are ranks which are often overlooked yet are vital to maintaining the smooth running of a vessel,” he said.
In another development, Ocean is using an inter-company collaboration to enhance ship machinery maintenance strategies.
Tero Marine and Maritime Training Services are working together to promote the benefits to ship operators of using a software-developed planned maintenance system (PMS).
A free e-learning module will be published on all Ocean platforms, outlining the advantages of using a PMS software suite to digitally manage all aspects of a vessel’s maintenance procedures and documentation. E-learning will use screenshots from the maintenance module of Tero Marine’s TM Master as a working example.
In other training developments, K Line Maritime Academy (KLMA) in Japan has obtained certification from Norwegian certification organisation DNV GL for seafarers’ online training.
LNG seafarer training by KLMA Japan, LNG SIGTTO Standard Training Course (Note 1), was certified by DNV GL in 2007 that it adapts to the international seafarers training standard.
Recently Online course delivery using the internet is added to the conventional face-to-face training and the certification range is enlarged. This is the first certification by DNV GL for online seafarers training in Japan.
Seafarer training and planned maintenance strategies will be discussed during Riviera’s series of virtual conferences and webinars during the rest of 2020 and into 2021 - use this link for details of the latest events and to register for virtual conferences and webinars
© 2023 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.