The signals coming from the series of regional STCW seminars and
workshops, currently conducted by IMO worldwide, are that the requirement is already
having effect on maritime training institutes of some countries. It may be expected that
its effect on shipboard training and assessment may be even more profound in that, whereas
in many countries the job-specific training of educational staff has been a matter of
legislation for many years, this has rarely been the case for those supervising and
assessing shipboard activities. As we approach the date stipulated by the STCW Convention
for the beginning of the new training programmes, this realization will sink in and IMO
should be in a position to provide appropriate advice. A useful start has been made with
the drafting of model training record books but more may be needed to clarify the
qualifications of trainers and assessors.
In addition to be qualified in the task for which training is being
conducted, any persons conducting in-service training are required to have an appreciation
of the training programme and an understanding of the specific training objectives for the
particular type of training being conducted. To link with the first subject of my address,
simulators are a now a fact of educational life and will play an increasingly important
role in all training programmes. Again, this affects the qualifications of instructors
who, when conducting training using simulators, must have received appropriate guidance in
instructional techniques involving use of simulators as well as have gained practical
operational experience on the particular type of simulators being used.
I have, within the scope of the address I set out to make, not made any
mention of other important incentives and possibilities which the revised STCW Convention
offers for improved human resource performance. However, the two aspects I have dealt with
should, by no means, be considered as exhausting the arsenal available to those
administrations which are determined to improve the safety and environment-related
performance of the maritime industry. I have no doubt that, given time, the package of
requirements of the revised Convention will produce the desired results of safer ships and
cleaner seas that IMO is striving to attain.
Distinguished delegates,
I am confident and optimistic that the already good safety record of
shipping will improve further in the future. This will happen when all the seeds are in
place of IMO's recent work, in particular on:
