Page 31: of Marine News Magazine (January 2016)

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TRAINING

Within the new facility, those pro- as more frequent offerings for courses Community College Curriculum for grams will bene? t from better sized and credentialing classes that are in Community Customers and equipped classrooms, and some high demand. Not everyone who wants to ? nd of most advanced and latest issue sim- Unlike the maritime academies and train for a career on the water- ulators on the market – a Kongsberg which focus largely on four-year bach- front has the time, wherewithal and full mission bridge simulator, as well elor degrees, augmented by a Marad- connections to travel far and wide to as an advanced Transas navigation lab. supplied training vessel, Arrowood get the training that they need. On

Here, radar and ECDIS will be taught says that San Jacinto depends on its the U.S. Gulf Coast, increasing num- leveraging the Transas equipment. industry partners for ‘internships.’ bers of prospective marine employees

Three bridge simulators, all capable “It’s not like a maritime academy; we and students no longer have to make of being interchanged as tugs, will don’t have a training ship. So the stu- that arduous journey. Aptly serving be available to students. All of those dents go out on commercial vessels the communities that support them, simulators can interact with another for the summer, and then they come Louisiana-based Delgado Communi- within the same exercise. back, do the next fall and spring se- ty College and Houston’s San Jacinto

Even limited to the previous, some- mester, then they go out and do an- College are both bringing expanded what cramped spaces, San Jacinto is- other, their second internship. And maritime training opportunities to sued a little over a thousand certi? - then they would graduate in August the local waterfront. Leveraging re- cates in this past calendar year. of that second year.” cent, high-tech expansion projects,

At San Jacinto College, the students Captain Arrowood is quick to point both schools can now promise that in the associates programs are typi- out that when the students do gradu- this won’t ever change. At the end of cally new to the industry. And, they ate, they leave with that associates de- the day, isn’t that what community is serve the full gamut of demograph- gree, and 12 Coast Guard-approved all about?

ics. Arrowood told MarineNews in course completion certi? cates. “But,

December, “I’d say 85 percent know they’re not walking out of this pro- port, starboard, bow, stern, but that gram with a license, mostly due to the might be the extent of it. If they’re not fact of not having enough sea time. right out of high school, they’re a year They are typically graduating with or two out. But we do have some with about 120 days of sea time.” But, in some prior sea time in some capacity the same breath, she insists, “What’s – tanker men, or some military. We’ve really cool about this program is that got three students with prior military it’s not cookie cutter like the acad- from the Navy and the Coast Guard. emies, where everyone’s either a third

Beyond this, San Jacinto’s industry mate or a third assistant engineer.” ties are deep, they are meaningful, San Jacinto students therefore work and they help to shape the very cur- towards a variety of goals, including riculum that the school delivers daily. 100- or 200- ton master’s licenses, a

Arrowood adds, “We work really close tanker man position and some even with Higman Marine, Buffalo Ma- want to work in the blue water indus- rine and Harley. We’re also really close try – in which case, they’ll work to- with the Houston Pilots and G&H wards their AB ticket ? rst.

Towing. We have an advisory com- Arrowood sums up the San Jacinto mittee that works with us – we meet College philosophy nicely, saying, “The a couple times a year and they give students are our clients. But, the ulti- us guidance and since they’re either mate goal is for them to get a job, so sending their mariners – their em- that’s where it comes back to our ad- ployees – for training, as well as look- visory committee. That’s how it works. ing at new talent already studying at We now have 17 members, but we’re al- the school.” Those advisory meetings ways looking for new support and new in turn produce course content that people to come in and help guide us in translates into real world skills, as well our program as it grows and expands.” 31 www.marinelink.com MN

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