THE VIKING MARITIME GROUP CELEBRATES ITS 35TH ANNIVERSARY!

Last month, the Viking Maritime Group, comprising of Maritime Skills Academy, Viking Crew, and Chiltern Maritime, marked 35 years of being in business!

We held a fantastic celebration, with staff members from our offices across the globe. It was a brilliant event, filled with laughter and nostalgia, a great way to start a year of celebrations!

Viking Maritime joins forces with Pelorus Yachting

EXCITING NEWS for maritime enthusiasts and adventure seekers! We are thrilled to announce a collaboration that promises to redefine immersive experiences in the superyacht industry.

The Maritime Skills Academy, part of the Viking Maritime Group is renowned for its unparalleled expertise and guidance in maritime training. With our state-of-the-art facilities and expert instructors, over the past 35 years, we have successfully trained a significant number of seafarers, from cadets to the more experienced, readying them for remote and polar regions.

Pelorus Yachting is your ticket to some of the world's most breathtaking, off-the-beaten-path expeditions and charter experiences. They specialize in curating immersive trips that take you to the most remote and captivating corners of our planet, offering unparalleled opportunities to explore the natural world.

Our collaboration blends the best of training and preparation for some of the most exciting trips to barely touched locations.

Maritime Skills Academy Partners with NAPA to make Ship Stability Management Training Efficient and More Accessible

The state-of-the-art NAPA Ship Stability Management Training for passenger ships is designed to empower maritime professionals with every needed skill and ensure ship stability at every turn.

“Theoretical knowledge is never enough. With this course, our aim is to provide hands-on experience with the industry-leading latest NAPA Passenger Ship Stability Management tool,” said Mark Jaenicke, Operations Director at the Maritime Skills Academy.

To learn more about this exciting new partnership and the elements that make up the Ship Stability Management Training please visit the Maritime Skills Academy website today.

Recent Training with Virgin Voyages Crew

Great teamwork was displayed by Virgin Voyages Crew during their recent training at the Maritime Skills Academy in Dover.

Our team of experienced Instructors delivered a bespoke training package for the Crew, incorporating elements from Damage Control, Advanced Fire Fighting, and Heli Ops training, based on their own Emergency Response Procedures.

To find out more about the large portfolio of courses that the Maritime Skills Academy has to offer, including tailored courses, click here.

UK Chamber of Shipping Safety Culture Conference in Bristol

Earlier this month, MSA Operations Director, Mark Jaenicke, and Head of Training at MSA Dover, Sam Kelly, attended the UK Chamber of Shipping Safety Culture Conference in Bristol.

Mark said of the event, “It was a great day, full of insightful presentations. The evening reception was also a great success, and we were pleased to have been able to support as the evening sponsor.”

Operational Fire Fighting with Head of Training sam kelly

We recently caught up with Sam Kelly, Head of Training at the Maritime Skills Academy in Dover, to find out more about the bespoke Operational Fire Fighting Training the MSA delivers to Crew.

"We welcome Senior Officers to attend this training to enable the command-and-control aspect to take place, review effective and concise briefings, and debriefings to the teams. This is the place to make mistakes. Our instructors will be by your side throughout offering expert advice at all levels."

To learn more about the importance of beyond compliance training and what it means for your Crew, click here.

The Maritime Skills Academy announces a new 2-year training partnership with Fred Olsen Cruise Lines

The Maritime Skills Academy is pleased to announce a new 2-year partnership with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines offering their Crew an enhanced level of training to improve their performance onboard.

Josip Kulas, Director of Training and Simulation, said: "This new partnership ensures that all delegates have access to the latest industry best practices and technological advancements. It solidifies both organisations' commitment to safety, excellence, and career development."

Read the full article here.

FEATURED COURSE

MARINE EVACUATION SYSTEM TRAINING

A client/ship-specific course, made to instruct and train the crew on how to activate and operate their specific system during an evacuation.

The course will cover initial familiarisation or support to existing training onboard, additionally sweeper training skills including the safe rigging of rescue lines and stretcher decent.

The MES course structure provides a balance of theory and practical exercises in conjunction with manufacturers' guidelines and clients’ safety management system procedures.

To find out more and book your place click HERE

It was a fun-filled day at MSA Dover!

We hosted 47 Cadets from Sea Cadets East Kent, including Cadets from the Dover, Deal, Whitstable, Ramsgate and Broadstairs groups.

They took part in interactive sessions delivered by our expert Maritime Safety Instructors, involving Sea Survival, Fire Fighting and First Aid.

The day was educational, allowing the Cadets to develop their maritime skills at our state-of-the-art centre, which gave them an insight into a career at sea!

Head of Training, Sam Kelly, said of the event: "Over the past 12 months, the Maritime Skills Academy has been working closely with local Sea Cadet branches, and after plenty of behind-the-scenes planning, we hosted 47 sea cadets at our training centre.

The cadets faced different learning scenarios and showed courage and excellent teamwork throughout the day. They are complete ambassadors of the Sea Cadets ethos. The team and I look forward to welcoming them again in the near future."

We welcomed a new friendly face to MSA Dover!

Meet Beau Wakefield, an aspiring Deck Cadet. Beau is currently completing his A Levels at Sixth Form and is hoping to secure a cadetship after his studies, with the goal of becoming a Captain in the future.

After hearing about MSA Dover and visiting the centre, he was offered a week of work experience by Head of Training, Sam Kelly, to gain an insight into the industry and develop his maritime skills.

Throughout the week, he took part in a range of STCW courses, including GWO Sea Survival, Elementary First Aid and Fire Prevention and Firefighting!

Beau said: "Work experience at the Maritime Skills Academy has enabled me to experience some of the skills required to work within the maritime industry. I am very grateful for the opportunity that I have been given, as this has allowed me to participate and witness high quality training in a state-of-the-art environment. The knowledge gained from this week will help build a strong foundation for my future career at sea."

Well done for all your hard work Beau, it was a pleasure having you with us for the week and we look forward to following your career journey.