MTCS UK of Windermere, who worked with Global Maritime Consultancy & Engineering on the development of a Shipping Industry Competence Program, is now ready to role out the program to the entire marine industry.
MTCS UK has taken a proactive stance on the issue of competency to prevent and minimize current and future risks. Underpinning a commitment to make the marine sector a safe and responsible jurisdiction in which to do business, MTCS UK delivers competence services both in the UK and worldwide. The aim is to show the industry how a fully accredited, dedicated Competence Management Program should work for the marine industry and other relevant industries.
Competence management is a combination of knowledge, skill and experience that taken together indicate that a candidate is capable of performing safety critical, technical and operational duties over a wide range of activities. It is important to obtain externally verified certificates of competence for all personnel involved in navigation.
Ian Smith, Senior Mariner, Global Maritime Consultancy & Engineering, who recently underwent the MTCS UK Competence Assessor Program, said, “Having worked in marine consultancy for a period of 10 years, I felt that it was important to focus not only on the vessel and the associated equipment but also the people. I therefore wanted to find the best way to achieve a form of qualification that would prepare me and qualify me to assess people in the workplace, to see if they were maintaining the industry expected level of competence. Finding the right organization to do this was not as simple as it first appeared.
“However, after more research, I discovered MTCS UK based in Cumbria. They were very helpful and suggested Global Maritime embark on their competence training scheme. The two-day course was informative, exceptionally well presented and covered all aspects of assessing competency in the work place. MTCS promptly assessed my workplace assessments and I then received my EAL recognized Maritime Competence Assessor qualification.
“Following this I worked with MTCS UK in developing the competencies for offshore DP and engineering personnel based upon IMCA guidelines (IMCA C 002). This has subsequently been expanded by MTCS UK to include all ranks.”
Ian Durrell, Head of Assessment Quality at MTCS UK, said, “Our corporate competence management tools are second to none, and provide companies and individuals with everything they need to swiftly and effectively get their personnel certified and accredited within IMCA-aligned guidelines. Our competence programs, recognized by The Nautical Institute, provide personnel with a robust system of professional development in the workplace. The MTCS UK competence management program is the answer to the on-board phase of assessment, where competence is not a one off training exercise, but should be viewed as a continuing professional development tool.”
