Page 14: of Marine News Magazine (February 2024)

13 15

Insights to the organization’s team of more than 75 expert instruc- without paying that price in blood and oil.’ They get to do tors. “We bring in the specialists who know the material things they would not normally get to do, and then they can through and through.” re? ne those skills in what we know is a valid environment.”

Gianelloni was also quick to point out the organization’s On top of that, MITAGS has an international assess- simulation department in particular. “It’s our jewel, in my ment program, the Navigation Skills Assessment Program opinion,” she said. “We do exercises that we just don’t see (NSAP), which Gianelloni described as a risk-based scenar- done anywhere else.” io program that evaluates a mariner’s ability to stand watch

In addition to training mariners in regulated courses, based on his or her level of training and expertise. “We have

MITAGS performs a lot of operational research for groups partner organizations in the Philippines, in Croatia and in such as pilot organizations, domestic companies or even India who are all running this program, and we also run this foreign governments. “Our operational research literally program in Baltimore and Seattle.” Gianelloni said. “This reaches around the world,” Gianelloni said. “We operate program is used heavily by the oil majors internationally.” our simulators on a level that is not really comparable to “Our operational research and NSAP program have al- other schools. We test the boundaries of our simulators lowed us to evaluate mariners from around the world and and the simulator manufactures.” implement those lessons learned into modern maritime edu-

Through grants, MITAGS is currently in the process cation,” Gianelloni said. “We have had over 5,000 mariners of installing 12 new simulators on campus that will help domestically and internationally participate in this program. it to push the boundaries further in areas such as virtual We have seen how they’re standing a watch, and now we reality (VR) simulation and dynamic positioning simula- can apply those lessons learned to make every mariner who tion, for example. walks through our halls and the halls of our partners safer.”

The organization’s in-house simulation department builds What does success look like for MITAGS at the end of and tests high-tech ship models for clients. “People very much the day? “Success is fewer casualties at sea, whether those believe in this type of training,” Gianelloni said. “To quote casualties be loss of life, loss of vessel or major environ- one of our instructors on the West Coast, Captain Christine mental incident,” Gianelloni said. “We aim to be a part of

Klimkowski, ‘It gives us the ability to exercise our mariners making sailors safer.” 14 | MN February 2024