No matter which flag their vessels fly or which country they are from, ship operators will soon have no option but to comply with the obligations of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention – and now is the time to prepare. However, they face the challenge of finding high quality, flexible and user friendly training that suits the needs of personnel who operate in diverse working environments with unusual working hours. Videotel Marine International now provides the answer, with the launch of the on-line Videotel Academy MLC 2006 tutor assisted distance learning course, incorporating computer based training (CBT), the first programme of its kind in the industry and the only course of its kind to offer real time on-line tutoring across the globe.
“The ILO Maritime Labour Convention is probably the single most important international regulation affecting manning and labour affairs that has been seen for many generations,” says Nigel Cleave, CEO at Videotel. “It covers every aspect of the manning of ships, from employment conditions to medical standards, and from crew accommodation to work hour regulations.
“We feel that the extensive training needed should be conducted in real time by a senior course tutor with significant experience in the field. However the range of roles and responsibilities held by course participants also demands that the training be flexible and available on demand. Videotel Academy tutor-assisted CBT training perfectly suits those seemingly conflicting requirements by combining distance learning techniques with the traditional advantages of the support and interaction provided by learning in a classroom environment. Participants really benefit from the ability to communicate ‘face to face’ with their course tutor and receive mentoring and academic support in real time.”
The course is on-line and tutor supported, and follows a structured learning programme lasting 12 weeks. It provides the essential knowledge required from those responsible for implementing and ensuring compliance with the standards of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention. Participants will be encouraged to engage in on-line discussions with the course tutor and fellow delegates to pool experience and knowledge.
The tutor for the course is David Dearsley who has over 45 years of experience in the shipping industry at sea and ashore, some 25 years of which was working as Deputy Secretary General of the ISF where he was responsible for co-ordinating the global shipowners position on initiating, reaching agreement on and then drafting and developing the text for the MLC. He has also worked with the IMO and the ILO.
Website: www.videotel.com
