Page 46: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (July 2016)

MARINE ELECTRONICS

Effective Maritime Instructors – What are they?

BY RICHARD A.J SLOLY oor training can lead to cata- strophic accidents both ? nan- cially and with loss of life, an

Punavoidable fact. The maritime industry is sadly far behind its counter- parts in the aviation industry with re- gards to the importance placed on good quality, practical, effective training, a matter that urgently needs to be ad- dressed. But where does this start? With the crew? With the ships? With the com- panies? I believe it begins with the train- ers; Good quality training must come from passionate, dedicated instructors who understand their responsibly to the maritime community.

Food for thought: “Is a good maritime instructor someone with good maritime experience or someone with good in- struction techniques that can pass on information effectively? Naturally the answer should be both, but from your ex- perience of training schools, how many instructors exist with both attributes?”

Effective training delivery has always

Modern training centers balance between theory, practical and assessment, with modern teach- been and will always be a deep rooted passion of a good maritime instructor, ing techniques.

and one that I certainly refuse to water down under increasing pressure from an industry that often looks to reduce train- ing requirements. Having looked exten- sively into Cognitive Behavioural Ther- are we actually looking for a tangible im- mous fashion as opposed to a petulant con? dence to be fully effective; ? rstly apy (CBT) as well as Neuro-linguistic provement in the quality of the seafarer “That’s what the instructor told me to con? dence with the material that you are

Programming (NLP), as an industry we and the industry as a whole? do” mindset. instructing and secondly con? dence in don’t need to go anywhere near as far

I would argue that it cannot be our mo- After all we must never forget we are your abilities to deliver that material. as this to achieve effective training as tivation as lecturers to just read out facts ‘The Guardians of the Standards’for de- we strive to deliver motivated crews to and ? gures in a haphazard fashion, such livery of training packages in the 21st • Bearing. How do you appear to the vessels. As an instructor for more than as the ‘tick box’ courses of the past. We Century. class? Be aware of your image in front 50 HELM courses (at both Manage- must inject all our efforts and approach of the class and ensure that that image is ment and Operational levels) as well as training delivery in a dynamic fashion in Qualities to Develop not in itself a distraction. a number of IMO 6.09 “Training Course for Instructors” and IMO 6.10 “Train order that we expose – as much as hu- There is one very important aid that manly possible – students to a concrete we put in front of all students which can • Mannerisms. Avoid anything that

The Simulator Instructor and Assessor” learning experience that not only passes have more impact and in? uence on the could be a distraction to the students. courses over the last few years, this has skills designed to reduce marine risk, but effectiveness of training than any other This may be something repeatedly said thrown up many questions, but one cen- also make the individual a better seafarer media ... you, the maritime instructor. such as “ok” or “right” or constantly tral/pivotal question continually rears its and improves the industry long term as We can all recognize what we consider jangling keys or coins in your pocket or head.

a whole. This approach is summarized to be a good instructor and that one in- pacing up and down over the same area.

Question. As an industry are we simply by David Kolbs, an Education Theorist. structor is very different from another. looking for a ? nancial return from send-

This is so they will know When, How Qualities an instructor should possess: • Voice. Modulate the voice and use ing crew members on training courses as and Why to apply the principles of their pauses for effect and emphasis. Varying they supposedly reduce marine risk, or, new found skill in a measured – autono- • Con? dence. You need to have the rhythm, speed, volume and pitch of 46 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • JULY 2016

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