Turkey is a major maritime nation with impressive activities both in shipbuilding and ship operation. Zenith, a prominent member of the Turkish maritime community, decided a long time ago to work with DNV GL as its partner for continuous learning and competence development.
The reason was given repeatedly in a recent survey of why customers prefer DNV GL Maritime Academy courses over those from other training providers: "We get real experts - both in the subject matter and in training techniques." The expertise comes from DNV GL's manifold research projects, latest findings from conferences and first-hand insight from expert panels in IMO or ISO. The training courses are continuously updated giving not just official texts but also expert comments on the story behind.
The latest of many diverse training courses to be offered in Turkey this year was the Energy Efficiency Masterclass, attended by 17 senior staff members from Zenith’s office and conducted on their premises in Istanbul.
The 2 day course aims to give an overview of energy efficiency options for fleet in service, covering a wide range of options in hydrodynamics, machinery and operation. Particular focus is given to antifouling and hull performance management, as these topics are widely seen as major levers and the latest developments in these areas have not yet been disseminated among ship operators. Despite the mass of material that was covered, participants enjoyed the experience due to the modern training methods that were used, alternating frequently between presentations by the trainer and activities where the attendees are called upon to think and interact.
The course received the dream score of 10/10 reflecting complete customer satisfaction. The feeling was mutual as the trainer, Hamburg-based Dr. Volker Bertram of DNV GL's Maritime Advisory services, commented afterwards:
"It is fun and stimulating for me to work with highly motivated and experienced people like we had here today. Then you can skip the basics and focus on latest developments."
But for Zenith, this was just a first step. "We received many interesting insights that we will now follow up on. Foremost on our agenda is crew training, where we will use selected parts of the [Energy Efficiency masterclass] course to raise awareness," shares Quality Director Turgay Cehreli. This is typical of successful companies in the maritime field. They see training as a strategic measure to remain competitive and invest both in crew and shore staff.
DNV GL’s Maritime Academy Turkey and Zenith are in process of completing 2016 Annual Training Program which majority of training is going to be provided by Maritime Academy Turkey same as 2015.