Uniform European training record book for inland shipping
January 19 2021
There is a new and uniform training record book for the European inland navigation sector. The record book anticipates the European directive which prescribes competence based education and training from January 1st, 2022. The new European Training Record Book provides a manual for traineeships and a means for recording the competences and skills learned by new crew members.
The development of the new handbook is part of the pan-European project COMPETING in which fifteen organisations from eight countries prepare the introduction of competence based education and training for European inland navigation. The mandatory internship period consists of a sailing period on board an inland vessel and extensive simulator training. The new European Training Record Book, is one of the first results of the COMPETING project.
The manual, developed under the direction of the Romanian maritime training centre CERONAV in Constanta, guides incoming/new crew members on board in their practical training and is a manual for teachers and internship supervisors. Training courses and results achieved are recorded in the handbook.
‘’This training handbook is an important development in harmonising education and training in the inland navigation sector in Europe and making it future proof,’’ says project leader Liliana Martes of CERONAV. ‘’For the COMPETING project the development of this handbook is a milestone,’’ reacts Jan Smallegange of Rotterdam based STC Group as project manager of COMPETING. ‘’Harmonised and future proof education will contribute to not only the mobility on the European labor market, but also to more safety on the European inland waterways.’’
‘’For the harmonisation of all inland navigation training in the European Union an uniform training handbook is very important,’’ says president Arjen Mintjes of EDINNA, the network of European education and training organisations in inland navigation. ‘’I’m very pleased with this job done so well by our Romanian colleagues. I expect all EDINNA members will make use of this handbook.’’
In the COMPETING project, seven competencies and the accompanying teaching materials are being worked on, both at operational and management level. These includes navigation, ship operation, cargo handling, stowage and passenger transport, maritime engineering and electrical, electronical and control engineering, maintenance and repair, communication and health, and safety and environmental protection.