Training Center News

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä and Sinocrew Maritime Services have inaugurated an advanced maritime simulation and training centre in Beihai, China, to support the next generation of seafarers in the Asian cruise industry and advance the adoption of decarbonization technologies.The Beihai International Seafarer Training Center (BISTC) will provide simulation-based training focused on cruise ship operations and sustainable maritime practices. The project aims to equip seafarers…

Renowned inventor and engineer Dean Kamen, creator of the Segway, the iBOT wheelchair, and founder of the organization FIRST Global, delivered a keynote lecture on October 28 at the Ascanio Arosemena Training Center of the Panama Canal. During his presentation, he shared his vision of innovation as a tool to transform societies.Kamen emphasized the importance of inspiring new generations to engage with science and technology. Through FIRST Global, a nonprofit organization that promotes international educational robotics competitions…

By Captain Bobbie Scolley, U.S. Navy (ret.) and Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, U.S. Navy (ret.)For more than six decades, spanning from 1905 to the late 1970s, the U.S. Navy’s diving apparatus for deep ocean operations and salvage remained fundamentally unchanged. During this period, the demographic of navy divers also saw little alteration. However, beginning in the mid-1970s and continuing to the present day, a series of developments initiated a gradual transformation in both areas with significant implications for contemporary Navy diving.Donna Tobias…

Shipping and logistics firm Wilson Sons has opened new facilities at its Training Centre and Towage Operations Centre in Santos, São Paulo, including a tugboat manoeuvre simulator designed to improve operating safety, efficiency and sustainability.This simulator will train the company's captains and maritime workers on safety procedures and cutting-edge technology for its fleet of over 80 tugboats, which operate in more than 25 ports along the Brazilian coast, supporting domestic and international trade…

As the global shipping industry accelerates toward decarbonization, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) has unveiled its first methanol bunkering simulator at its Maritime Training Center in Kochi, India. Developed in partnership with Wärtsilä, the new platform is designed to give seafarers hands-on training for safely handling methanol, one of the leading alternative fuels driving maritime’s low-carbon transition.The simulator marks a significant step in BSM’s broader strategy to future-proof crew training for a new generation of low- and zero-emission vessels.

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…

Kongsberg Maritime has secured a contract with Capital Group, Greece, to deliver K-Sim Engine Room and Cargo simulators for their training centre on the Greek island of Chios. The investment underscores Capital Group’s commitment to high-quality training for its crew, enhancing both general STCW training and product familiarization with onboard automation systems.The delivery, scheduled for completion by the end of June 2025, includes K-Sim Engine Room and Cargo Handling Simulators. The simulators feature K-Chief automation systems installed onboard the Capital Group’s tankers and LNG gas carriers and will ensure the crew gains hands…

The United States will "take back" the Panama Canal from Chinese influence, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday during a visit to the Central American nation.After talks with Panama's government, Hegseth vowed to deepen security cooperation with Panamanian security forces and said China would not be allowed to "weaponize" the canal by using Chinese firms' commercial relationships for espionage."Together, we will take back the Panama Canal from China's influence," Hegseth said, speaking at a pier renovated with U.S. assistance in Panama City."China did not build this canal.

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) and Maersk Training (MT) have entered into a landmark agreement to establish a Centre of Excellence focused on leadership and crisis management training for SCA employees. The agreement was signed at a ceremony attended by senior representatives from both organizations.The contract was formalized by Yasser El Sheshengy, Director of the Communication & Information Systems Department at the Suez Canal Authority; Vijay Rangachari, Head of Growth and Strategic Projects at Maersk Training…

Bollinger Shipyards announced that Andrew Hinkebein has been named Director of Government Affairs and will lead all state and local government relations efforts. Hinkebein will join the Government & External Affairs division of Bollinger Shipyards under EVP Geoffrey Green, where he will collaborate with community and economic development partners to continue driving the company’s growth and success across the Gulf Coast.The announcement was made by Ben Bordelon, Bollinger’s President and Chief Executive Officer…

“Each Career Connect Washington program is codeveloped with businesses and educators, so each program we build or expand meets the needs of industry and students.” -Andrew Clemons, Grant Administrator, State of Washington.In March, the U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation announced a new workforce development webpage – for electric vehicle job opportunities.A centralized focus, especially from the top, is a big help for an industrial sector looking for tens of thousands of smart and talented people.

South Korea-based ballast water management system (BWMS) manufacture Techcross has announced its participation at Posidonia 2024, considered one of the largest maritime exhibitions in Europe held in Athens, Greece.This year, over 2,000 companies from around the world are expected to participate in the first week of June. The exhibitors are working hard in preparation aiming to attract nearly 30,000 visitors.Techcross who attends at booth no. 2.424, has arranged an opportunity for consultation on the local training center’s operational plan…

In 2018, convicted cocaine trafficker Slobodan Kostovski fled a Brazilian prison and made his way back to Europe with a fake passport.The Serbian senior quickly fell into old habits, police allege. Last August, Kostovski was arrested in Belgrade, accused of shipping 2.7 metric tonnes of cocaine from Brazil aboard a 22-meter vessel apprehended near Spain’s Canary Islands.Nicknamed “the General” by his associates, he had been trafficking “large amounts” of powder to “Europe for a long period of time,” Serbian police wrote in a 2022 intelligence report obtained exclusively by Reuters.

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.

Con Edison Transmission and National Grid Ventures submitted a plan to carry offshore wind power to New Jersey's electric grid as the state aims to meet renewable energy goals, according to a press release on Thursday.If awarded, the 'Garden State Energy Path' proposal involves building transmission infrastructure that would be operational by early 2029 and deliver about six gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power, Con Edison said."This project is foundational to helping New Jersey reach its goal of 11 GW of offshore wind by 2040," it said.Earlier this week, California’s grid operator recommende

Marine towage provider Svitzer Australia is building a new facility to deliver enhanced maritime training capabilities to the East Coast of New South Wales (NSW).The company reports construction is underway at its Port of Newcastle tug base, where Svitzer’s innovative, new TRAnsverse tug vessels are forecast to enter service in 2025 (the second and third to be deployed in the world). The facility will feature state-of-the-art Kongsberg Digital maritime simulators in support of crew training and other marine applications.Svitzer Australia chief operating officer…

Techcross recently opened the doors for its new training center in Athens, Greece, its 7th training center opened globally in major shipping hubs that offers training on actual equipment.An opening ceremony for the Greece training center, designated as a hub for training in Europe region, was held recently at the newly relocated ARGO NAVIS building. The ceremony was attended by nine representatives, including Park Seog-won, CEO of Techcross, and Ioannis Alevropoulos and Maximous-Ioannis Katsidimas…

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…

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has inaugurated the ABS Global LNG Academy, a cutting-edge training center dedicated to using the latest techniques to educate mariners in modern liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessel operations.Located in Doha and supported by QatarEnergy, the Academy is a coordinated effort with industry partners, who are working together to make the ABS LNG Academy the global epicenter for LNG-related training and development. Establishing the training center is also a key part of ABS’ support of Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and the Tawteen Program…

Anacortes, Wash. shipbuilder Dakota Creek Industries announced it has opened the application process for its three-year paid apprenticeship program.Slated to begin on July 1, 2024, the formalized, structured program offers both on-the-job training (OJT) and related supplemental instruction through a combination practical, classroom and technical training."Essential skills taught during the program are tailored to meet or exceed industry standards, ensuring that apprentices are equipped with the expertise needed for a successful career in the marine industry…

Portland, Ore. shipbuilder Gunderson Marine announced plans to open a new training center aimed at addressing a demand for skilled trades workers. For many shipyards across the U.S., hiring and retaining a skilled workforce has become a major challenge.Gunderson's new training center, scheduled to open this spring, will serve as a central hub for trades skills development, offering paid training programs in areas such as in basic metals fitting, industrial safety practices and various welding techniques, the company said.

NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations will hold two hiring events in the Gulf Coast region to recruit professional mariners to work aboard NOAA’s ocean research ships. The first event will be in Mobile, Alabama on Jan. 23 and the second is in New Orleans on Jan. 25.NOAA operates a fleet of 15 hydrographic survey, oceanographic research and fisheries survey vessels. NOAA ships operate in the U.S. and around the world. The ships are run by a combination of NOAA commissioned officers…