Training - the numbers game

摘要

When the world fleet switches to the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) - a process that will probably take several years - a great many officers will need to be trained. The UK-based chart company PC Maritime notes that an estimated 250,000 officers will need to be trained globally by the start of the next decade. Exactly what kind of training should be given and how it should be delivered is a matter for continued debate.Last month's meeting of the IMO's Standards for Training, Certification and Watchkeeping sub-committee (STCW) discussed the formal inclusion of ECDIS in the STCW Code. In the wings, there was also a substantial amount of discussion about what exactly should be taught.