Maritime Courses: Maritime Link Promises Strong Future Training Partnership

Two of the leading Maltese maritime training and contingency management training organisations will be offering a new set of integrated courses from 2021 after agreeing a memorandum of understanding earlier this month.

The Mediterranean Maritime Research and Training Centre (MaritimeMT) and the International Safety Training College (ISTC ) will be creating a new set of courses covering both maritime training and the oil & gas sectors offering some of the highest training standards in these industry sectors from January 2021.

MaritimeMT, founded by the Malta Maritime Pilots in 2010, currently offers online and classroom training courses for local and foreign ports with curriculum designed specifically for Ship Masters, Tug Masters, Ships’ Officers, Naval Officers and Cadets. Over the coming months, MaritimeMT will be developing its fire-fighting courses with the current ISTC ones to generate a new range of integrated training offerings.

Andrea Lodolo, CEO of MaritimeMT, sees the new partnership with ISTC as a significant indicator of Malta’s strength in training for seafarers and other maritime personnel.

“This memorandum is an indication of the future of our training and the desire we have to offer the highest standards of online and face-to-face training for the maritime industry. ISTC has an enviable reputation in the aviation, fire and offshore sectors and we are partnering with them to create series of courses that reflect the strengths of both of our operations. ISTC holds a wide range of globally recognised accreditations in the maritime, aviation, oil and gas and fire service industries.

“With an increasing demand for MaritimeMT courses, we also need to expand and offer a wider range of courses that also cater for a maritime world that is coming to terms with a return to operations following the global pandemic. We will be creating courses that work for both organisations and showcase the talent and experience we both have to offer candidates. This is an opportunity we both could not pass up and we are delighted at MaritimeMT to establish stronger links with another Maltese training provider.”

MaritimeMT offers STCW training & certification; ship handling courses and bespoke training for both seafarers or and shore based personnel and MaritimeMT is fully accredited by DNV-GL as a Training Centre facility and by Transport Malta to deliver training as per the STCW convention.

The ISTC is one of the leading proponents of training courses in emergency response, contingency management, fire safety, and health and safety. They specialise in marine, aviation, fire and offshore training and this new link will enable both organisations to develop joint new courses relating to the maritime and specialised fields they both operate in. The new courses for 2021 will comprise a mixture of online and classroom training and will make use of the superb training facilities in Malta offered by MaritimeMT and the ISTC .

Kevin Keeler, International Sales Director of ISTC believes the new partnership will be of mutual benefit to both organisations as demand for more specialist and intensive maritime training develops.

“MaritimeMT has an excellent reputation in maritime training and we see this relationship as helping to create an even more comprehensive set of courses designed specifically for those working in the maritime, aviation, offshore and land-based sectors we both work in. It is an opportunity to combine the skills and knowledge of two training organisations to offer a detailed set of courses we will develop together.”