Polar operations safer

IMO has completed the latest in a series of four eLearning/virtual regional train-the-trainer workshops (September 2019 – December 2021) for seafarers on ships operating in polar waters. The aim was to assist maritime training institutes to enhance the skills and competence of maritime instructors for courses about polar operations.

The courses, aimed at representatives from Governments and maritime academies, promoted the implementation of the Polar Code and the training requirements for ships operating in polar waters, and aimed to help the trainers to:

• develop competence-based training programmes
• update existing programmes
• improve the use of the IMO model courses on Basic and Advanced training for ships operating in polar waters.

The most recent eLearning/virtual course was held in the Russian Federation in early December this year and focused on East Arctic operations. This was preceded by an eLearning/virtual course with East Antarctic focus was held in the Republic of Korea (November 2021). Previous courses were held (on site) in Chile (November 2019), looking at operations in the West Antarctic region, and in Canada in September 2019, focusing on operations in the West Arctic region.

Both courses held during 2021 used an online format via IMO’s Learning Management System (LMS), which allowed participants to access course materials such as content, resources, manuals, and assignments. The IMO LMS (built on open-source learning management system Moodle) aims to make learning more accessible without the need for the physical presence of their participants.

IMO plans to host numerous virtual training courses and workshops in the future and will use the platform to facilitate the delivery, administration, documentation, automation, and reporting of various training activities.

The regional workshops were organized within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding between IMO and Transport Canada on technical cooperation.