Maritime training and assessing has been around for years. It’s an effective way to learn, practice and be assessed in real time skills without damaging vessels, facilities, injury or death.
Technology has advanced tremendously in recent years and simulation has benefited greatly from this technology .
Most seafarers encounter few emergencies throughout their careers and no seafarers will experience the same emergencies enough times to learn from their mistakes.
Can we expect our crews to respond correctly to a challenging situation they have never encountered , trained or been assessed for?
Well designed simulation enhances learning, improves performance, assessments and reduces error.
Simulation training and assessing improves mariners perception and assessments of dangerous situations, improves training outcomes in comparison to conventional on board training exercise and creates more collaborative critical thinking.
Under provisions in the STCW convention they have decided to recognize five days of training in a full bridge mission simulator as equivocal to fifteen days of sea service.
The Towing industry is using simulators to have mariners assessed for their TOARS ( towing officer assessment record ) which is a safe, time saving and cost effective way to help fill the shortage of wheelhouse personal. In addition simulators are replicable, so every mariner can face the same scenario. In real time training and assessing this is impossible.
One mariner may never experience the same task or emergency, while another mariner may encounter several in their first week underway.
With Maritime Toar Assessments at the United States Maritime Resource Center we have found a proven platform to assist the mariner in understanding the tasks to be performed to successfully prepare and be assessed for their towing endorsement.