4-Part STCW Basic Safety Training At MSA Dover – Careers At Sea

The Maritime Skills Academy (MSA) recently welcomed Finley Reeves to complete his 4-Part STCW Basic Safety Training. Finley, who turned 18 during his training week, is currently studying on a Football Scholarship and travelled from Tamworth to our centre in Dover to complete his training as he was exploring options for a potential career at sea.

We followed his week at our state-of-the-art centre and interviewed him after five days of training to see how he’d gotten on.

Finn stood in full fire fighting PPE with a helmet and breathing apparatus with his thumbs up to the camera as part of his 4-part STCW Basic Safety Training

What inspired you to book training courses at the MSA?

I’ve always been in love with football, but sometimes you do have to move on. This course will open up opportunities for me to travel and explore. I think it’s important to look at what else is out there, and when there are opportunities to do things like this, you have to do them.

Which element of the week did you enjoy the most?

My favourite element was the second day of Fire Prevention and Firefighting. I’d never done anything like that before, and although you don’t know what you’re doing, you’ve got people around you who will make sure that you do know what you’re doing.

We were fully fitted in PPE with a breathing apparatus set and oxygen cylinder that we carried on our backs while we worked together as a team to identify a casualty and safely carry them out of the container. That was my favourite day.

The staff and instructors’ help made the experience enjoyable because it didn’t seem like a training course. I looked forward to each day as they were each a proper experience.

Finn is using a fire extinguisher as part of his Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting course which makes up the 4-Part STCW Basic Safety Training Week

Has your experience at the MSA been different from what you expected?

I wasn’t expecting the fire procedures and classes to be as detailed as they were; I thought they [the courses] would be more theoretical than practical—experiencing real situations. All the practices in themselves were very detailed and realistic. Although you’re not at sea and in real firefighting situations, you are putting out actual fires in real-life scenarios.

Which skills have you gained from the 4-Part STCW Basic Safety Training?

I’ve learnt skills for life, such as CPR, what to do if you go overboard, and how to treat a casualty choking or with an injury that needs bandaging.

If I hadn’t completed this course, I wouldn’t have had a clue how to help someone effectively. It’s nice to know that I can try to help [someone] if something were to happen.

CPR performed on a first aid manikin - 4-Part STCW Basic Safety Training

Have the instructors helped make the training engaging and useful?

The mix of [the instructors’] personalities and how some of them used humour or their wisdom from experience to teach the course is engaging, as it’s not just reading course material off the board.

They’re demonstrating and explaining at the same time, going into exact detail about why you need to do this and why that happens. It’s good to say, “You need to do this to keep someone alive”, but the trainers explained why you need to do that to keep someone alive. As a result, you’re more engaged with it [the lessons] because you’re curious and want to learn more.

Can you share a specific moment where you felt you learned something valuable?

On day five (Elementary First Aid), learning CPR and how to use an AED (automated external defibrillator), you can use that in any scenario; it doesn’t just have to be on board.

I now feel more confident about performing CPR instead of just winging it. I would try and help, whereas I probably wouldn’t have before.

What’s been the most challenging part of your training? How did you overcome it?

It’s not to say everything this week was easy, but the workload in the practicals was a challenge. When you’re firefighting, it’s hot, and you’ve got a heavy cylinder on your back, but if I had gone in there without training, it would have been even more challenging.

During the Personal Survival Techniques training course (PST), the physical side was more challenging, but we were taught how to do the exercises in the most effective way.

What role or career path are you hoping to pursue, having completed your training?

I love football, but I’ve got a big interest in this side of the world now and working at sea. I like the idea of working as a deckhand on a superyacht, and I’ve always wanted to travel — with a job like that, it’s a requirement. Although you are working, you’re also travelling the world, so you can’t really complain!

Would you recommend the MSA to others, and if so, why?

I’d definitely recommend the Maritime Skills Academy to others. A career at sea isn’t as well-known an option as it should be. I would never have known about the training needed to work at sea before six months ago, and my friends and family hadn’t considered a career at sea either, as I was explaining to them that I would be completing this course. However, I’d recommend it, and everything has been perfect. There hasn’t been anything that I thought could’ve been better. Everything went really well.

Delegate Finn Reeves stood holding his certificate after completing his STCW Basic Safety Training Week at MSA Dover — *Finn stood proudly with his certificate after completing the STCW Basic Safety Course at MSA Dover*

Maritime Safety Instructor Stuart Warters said of Finn’s experience at the MSA, “[He] took everything in and was always engaged with the courses. Finn demonstrated everything we needed him to do and by the end of the week, he had really improved in confidence.”

If you’ve completed one of our training courses, at either our Dover or Portsmouth facility and would like to leave some feedback or write about your experience, contact our team today at Marketing@vikingmaritime.co.uk

Seapeak Visits MSA Portsmouth’s World-Class Facilities

Seapeak is a global leader in the international maritime transportation of gas liquids, and it aims to lead the way in the transfer of energy and keep the world in motion.

The Maritime Skills Academy Portsmouth recently hosted these distinguished industry leaders, as they were on the search to identify a provider who could not only deliver world-class training but also utilise and incorporate Seapeak’s own policies and procedures and navigation handbook whilst simultaneously maintaining its purpose, values, and standards.

After this recent evaluation, Seapeak’s Training and Recruitment Manager John Reid expressed his satisfaction with the training centre by writing the following glowing testimonial.

“The Maritime Skills Academy Portsmouth delivers all we requested and much more. From the moment you arrive at the Lakeside North Harbour building, you get the immediate feeling that this is a very professional set-up. From the outset, the message is that you are here to learn in a learning environment. The style of teaching ties in with the ambience and attitude of “let’s learn, and learn at your own pace” by building confidence first, and then moving on to enhancing skills and knowledge.

As well as several state-of-the-art bridge simulators, MSA Portsmouth has Engine Room Simulators (ERM), switchboards, High Voltage Simulator Training, ECDIS Training suites, classrooms, briefing rooms, and incredible recreation space for student breaks. All of which can be integrated for running multi-vessel or multi-departmental exercises or drills.

Another real plus (particularly for Seapeak) was for us to discover that the MSA also have the ability to run Basic and Advanced Polar Code courses.

All in all, the Maritime Skills Academy and their professional staff are running an elite training centre providing world-class training to the maritime industry. Seapeak are delighted to be working with them to ensure that our Officers are receiving a high level of training consistent with our Seapeak Values and Standards.”

On behalf of the entire MSA Team, it was a pleasure to host John and his colleagues, and we are grateful for his kind words and complimentary testimonial.

If you’d like to arrange a visit to our facilities to see how the Maritime Skills Academy can support your maritime training needs, please get in touch below to schedule a visit.

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What are the different types of maritime training courses available?

When it comes to maritime training there is much to consider, not least the choice of training courses that are available.

The Maritime Skills Academy provides over 500 expert courses globally to over 5,000 delegates every year, at world-class training centres in Portsmouth, Dover and Gibraltar.

As an approved centre for the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, the Global Wind Organisation (GWO), Nautical Institute and UK Chamber of Shipping, this training ensures the highest standards are maintained for commercial operators as well as for both maintaining and building professional development.

This blog gives some guidance on the different types of maritime training programmes available to help you chart a course in your existing future career, or learn new skills that meet the needs of today’s maritime industry.

Setting new standards at sea

There’s nothing quite like experiencing first-hand, real-life situations that you may face whether as a tug operator, out on deck in the merchant navy, as part of a yacht crew or working in hospitality on a cruise line.

Our deck and engine training programmes, for example, provide extensive simulator training in bridge resource management (BRM), tug operations, ship handling, engine room resource room management (ERM) and for handling high voltage situations.

Marine fire and safety training, meanwhile, includes programmes in STCW Safety, commercial fire response, medical first aid and accredited sea survival courses.

Accredited industry led training

STCW stands for Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping, one of a number of industry backed qualifications offering an extensive range of courses available at basic, advanced and refresher level.

STCW courses include everything from basic safety training to updated proficiency in Medical Care and specialised knowledge for service on ships using fuels covered within the IGF code.

Crisis management and human behaviour, crowd management and personal safety and social responsibilities provide a taste of other courses run under the STCW banner.

GWO stands for the Global Wind Organisation, an independent non-profit organisation that provides a set of standards for the safe operation of wind turbines around the world.

Sea survival training is just one element of a globally recognised certification that provides offshore workers with the skills and knowledge they will need, should incidents occur.

The full GWO Basic Safety Training certification also includes training in fire awareness, manual handling, first aid training and working at height.

Courses offered through the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) include a range of training options that build health and safety expertise for seafarers, including engine maintenance courses, ideal for operators of small inshore and pleasure vessels.

MCA Approved Polar Code Training for those on-board ships operating in polar waters are among our most popular courses.

Courses bespoke to you or your business

When it comes to the types of maritime training programmes available, there are hundreds to choose from and we can help you to choose the courses that are right for you.

While some training programmes are fixed in the time it will take to complete, others can be shaped to the specific needs of your crew, employees or your wider organisation.

Courses range in time from half day or full day refreshers to five days for more in depth skills training such as Operational Fire Fighting Training (OPFF), for example.

Whatever your training requirements, and wherever you are in the world, The Maritime Skills Academy provides complete training management whether you are private yacht crew, working offshore or working in the cruise industry.

If you would like to discuss yours or your organisation’s training needs, get in touch with Head of Training, Sam Kelly, at samk@vikingmsa.com.

To explore our full portfolio of maritime training courses, please click here.