Projects

The projects that we work with as detailed below:

ENDORSEME “Enabling Seafarers to Mutual Endorsement”

ERASMUS+ PROJECT “SEA MENTORS – SEAfarers Experiential Knowledge Based MENTORS”

It has been further challenging in the recent years to catch an on-the-job experience for new starters and those who are on the profession to progress their ranks, due to pandemic, changes in technology, faster promotions and reduced seatime requirements. There are also many barriers to the easy transfer of experiential knowledge, including language and culture, and yet there is the ever-lasting problem of pressure of work and lack of time (Acar, 2017). Moreover, the recent EU statistics indicates that average working time of a seafarer at sea is 4.8 years therefore it is essential that the seafarers need to be linked with shore based responsibilities that they can contribute and develop in maritime sector with the valuable experience they attain during the course of their time at sea (SAILAHED, 2011- 2013).

Marine accidents and incidents do continue to occur due to a lack of experiential knowledge transferred. Experiential knowledge is not something tangible, nor is it a subject that can be taught in college, although the concept should be addressed and the candidates encouraged to participate in experiential knowledge transfer. There are variety of reasons why transfer of experiential knowledge is difficult to be transferred from one to another is one is the lack of time for informal training which is due to ships and long working hours prevents mentors to take time off their busy schedule and take personal interest in training of juniors.

SEA MENTORS will promote competencies specified to these standards, and some lead to internationally recognised qualifications. On the other hand, maritime industry has a tradition of learning from others onboard; however, on-board community is small and sometimes highly variable in timing and composition.

Project Aims and Objectives

• • Identify the level of “experiential knowledge” each ranks have in a questionnaire based needs analysis and information based on the investigation of undiscovered areas,
  • Develop an online Training programme for each ranks therefore they can access to this experiential knowledge which incorporates latest developments in the maritime sector
  • Design a guidance Tool that provides the user with a certificate for the newly acquired skills based on experiential knowledge.

SeaSAFER – Simulation of Sea Accidents For Effective Responses

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) have been promoting “Safety Culture” for the last decade with a great deal of emphasis on human elements, particularly how human errors have led to great loss of life and property (IMO, 2013). It has also been acknowledged that similar accidents/incident occur with repeatedly as human error is proven to be the main cause. Learning from accidents/incidents are one of the good practise that IMO promotes which has not been taken into consideration in training seafarers and industry would benefit from a training tool and programme for its sea-going staff (ACAR, 2011). There has not been a complete attempt and a tool available to promote “Safety Culture” using the past accidents/incidents for the training of seafarers.

This project concerns an innovation development from existing data on accidents/incidents for the creation of a range of scenarios in order to create “Safety Culture” for the education and training of seafarers. The intention of this project is to develop experimental knowledge in order to training seafarers via learning from past accidents and incidents.

The main aims and objectives are:

• • To improve safety at sea and at ports by facilitating experimental knowledge and create a knowledge-base of scenarios for training of seafarers
  • To develop intelligent exercises based on scenarios created for application in bridge as well as in the full mission simulators
  • To assess the learning of users via scenarios developed

The partnership is composed of six major education and training centres, private companies, universities in several EU countries supported by their awarding, accrediting and/or certificating authorities.

Please follow our Web Page on www.seasafer.com

PraC-MARENG – PRActical and Communication based MARitime ENGlish

International Maritime Organisation (IMO) promotes English as “the language of the sea” under Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW). The expectation is to reduce accidents occurring due to communication failures where 80 percent of world crews do not speak English as a first language. Seafarers as per their competency requirements are expected to have a good command Maritime English to carry out their daily jobs at sea. IMO Model Courses are used to deliver such training for seafarers with complimentary Standard Maritime Communication Phrases (SMCP) where maritime professionals are expected to use Maritime English in communications for situations such as safety and security on-board, emergency situations, on-board communication, customer service on passenger ships, and communication with maritime authorities and yet majority of maritime accidents are reported to be due to lack of linguistic communication skills of seafarers as rules and standards are not applied. Researches establish that a contributory factor to the increase in accidents is lack of communication skills of seafarers serving at sea and ashore (40 percent) (Nautical Institute, 2015). Marine accidents and incidents are reccurring due to a lack of English language skills of maritime personel. Besides this, learning language in professional context is always complex and problematic where there are variety of reasons why use of English language at sea has been the issue when the root cause of marine accidents are investigated. The world as repetitively reported needs competent seafarers whom have a good communication skills therefore there is a real need for seafarers to be trained as such that they acquire the skills and competence that instruction in colleges cannot deliver. The project will therefore develop a learning program considering different rank of seafarers, taking into account the experience they attained in each vessel to teach Maritime English based on the real activities specific to each type of vessel. The programme will have phases to pass it to seafarers working on different levels of command. PraC-MARENG project aims to:

1. 1. Identify the activities and tasks specific to each type of vessels that seafarers undertake on a daily basis
   2. Develop an online Training programme for each ranks therefore they can access to this real activities and tasks on board various type of vessels which incorporates latest technologies in the maritime sector
   3. Design and develop a learning and assessment tool that provides the user with a genuine certificate for the newly acquired skills based on experiential knowledge.

In doing this so, the platform will have following features:

• • incorporates real communication at sea using SMCP,
  • activities which are meaningful to students and which will motivate them to become committed to sustaining that communication to accomplish a specific goal.

PracMerEng Training Platform will have a tailor made programme for different types of ranks taking into account various types of vessels. The tool will have options to select levels of under competence that users would wish to attain on different levels of ranks.

The platform offered by the PraC-MARENG Training platform will have a direct impact on seafarers by giving them enhanced competence in English therefore decision making. The seafarers will have better skills and knowledge to understand and interpret tasks and activities on board the vessel hence better communication skill.

Please follow our Web Page on www.prac-mareng.com