The Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) training course offered by NYK Shipmanagement Pte. Ltd. (NYKSM), an NYK Group company based in Singapore, has been accredited by Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Class NK), making NYKSM the first company to obtain ClassNK’s certification in the field of maritime technology training.
The gradual enforcement of ECDIS installation will begin to occur on vessels around the world on July 1, 2012, after which vessels will be obligated to navigate using ECDIS as the primary chart. Captains and deck officers will thus be required to take ECDIS training modeled on a 40-hour, five-day course developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Prior to ClassNK accreditation and IMO enforcement next year, NYKSM prepared simulations using actual ECDIS equipment and constructed applicable ECDIS training from the beginning of the year.
In April, ClassNK expanded its mission as a classification society to include certification of maritime education training for seafarers and NYKSM’s ECDIS training course was subsequently recognized as one that meets IMO model course. This training course has also been accredited by the government of Singapore and the Norwegian classification society Det Norske Veritas (DNV).
An accreditation ceremony was held at NYKSM’s training center in Singapore on September 21, and ClassNK executive vice president Koichi Fujiwara, ClassNK Singapore office head Akihiko Uotani, NYKSM CEO Tomoyuki Koyama, and NYKSM COO Hemant Pathania were in attendance.
In September 2006, a training program established by NYKSM for seafarers assigned to LNG carriers was accredited by DNV to be in accordance with the SIGTTO standards, and other training program offered to NYK officers and engineers by NYKSM was accredited by DNV in May 2007. NYK will continue to provide specialized training to ensure safe operations for the company’s entire fleet.
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Source: NYK, September 22, 2011.