West Nautical receives MNTB Course Recognition
West Nautical receives MNTB Course Recognition

West Nautical has received the first 'Merchant Navy Training Board' Course Recognition award in Europe, and only the second globally, an accolade of good practice in training course provision, for its Superyacht Captain "Command and Control course".

" The Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) is pleased to award West Nautical Ltd ‘Course Recognition’ for its Yacht Captain’s Command and Control Simulator course.  Glenys Jackson, MNTB Head commented: ‘Following a rigorous process, West Nautical has demonstrated that their course meets the MNTB’s exacting criteria for good practice in training course provision.  This new Course Recognition Service that we are offering to the industry will enable any company that provides training to hold its head up in the market place and above its competitors, as its training has been recognised by an impartial industry body as meeting our good practice guidelines for quality training provision. "

In October 2015, West Nautical invited a select number of yacht Captains to Newcastle upon Tyne, England, for their first Command and Control Course, for which the company has now received MNTB course recognition.

West Nautical hosted its inaugural Captains’ training course in association with the South Shields Marine School and Akzonobel AwlGrip paint and coating facility in the North East of England, close to the West Nautical office. The three day event consisted of two days of intense wheelhouse simulator training using simulated 40-90m motor yachts, and a day at the Akzonobel factory where industry 'hot topics' were openly discussed along with an expert insight into the production and aftercare of the AwlGrip yacht coating products.

The simulator was used in seven sessions, during which bespoke scenarios were ran by the West Nautical and marine school staff, and were undertaken by six delegates, five superyacht Captains and a Chief Officer. Individual debriefs followed each scenario, with a focus on constructive and open communication in order to improve bridge team resource management and emergency response training. Whilst one team was in the simulator, the others worked with West Nautical doing classroom exercises relevant to the simulation, or received expert training from course sponsors David Store Navigation Management and MedAire, who gave the group a refresher course on first response trauma emergencies.

The objective of the Command and Control course is to deliver senior level training for superyacht Captains in their primary function as a navigation and commanding officer on board during emergency situations. As a secondary objective, the course has been designed to give Captains a unique 'closed door' platform amongst their piers in which to discuss anything they like openly, and to speak to their colleagues and West Nautical about issues they are experiencing.

Full details about the 2015 course in the West Nautical case study here, with the 2016 course dates now set for October 18-20th.

Geoff Moore, West Nautical Managing Director commented 'We are delighted to have received this MNTB recognition, not only because it is a credit to our team who have developed this benchmark course and received global recognition for it, but also because we are proud to represent the Yachting sector in this positive manner. At West Nautical we are passionate about crew safety and developing strong relationships between Yacht Captains and ourselves, and we have developed this course to deliver these targets. As a team of former crew ourselves, we recognise that Captains are often the people who get the least external training, and will rarely, if ever, get an opportunity to spend some quality time in a simulator. With a limited number of places on the course to ensure each delegate has plenty of time in the simulator, inter-spaced with the group classroom exercises, and the organised evening events provided by the sponsors, the event allows for great networking and interactive discussions. The course was a huge success last year and we have big plans for this years' event, for which receipt of the MNTB recognition has been the icing on the cake!'.

Kevin Slade, MNTB Chairman also commented ‘We expect our Course Recognition Service to set the benchmark for training provision for companies and individuals seeking high quality training as much as for companies offering training, and I commend West Nautical for their achievement’. The MNTB issued a press release on 27th July congratulating West Nautical, you can read it here.

For more details on the Command and Control course, please email us at training@westnautical.com

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