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INDUSTRY - FOCUS ON GERMANY
GL academies prove
successful
Last year, Germanischer Lloyd (GL) held 276 seminars worldwide,
attracting 4,086 participants, compared with 220 in 2006, which pulled in 3,950 people.
GL has developed what it calls a
'Modular System for Further
Education in Shipping', which is
split into 11 distinct subjects.
Both public and private seminars are held, and
tailor-made in-house tutorials are also offered.
GL Academy's Susanne Schreeck told
TANKEROperator that it was not the intention
to compete with seafarer training schools or
universities, but rather join forces if possible.
Seminars and tutorials are held worldwide
in English, although local languages can also
be used, for example to train surveyors in
overseas locations.
Most maritime subjects are covered, from
basic shipping knowledge to high technology,
including a series aimed at 'training the
trainers'.
The UAE and India are areas of obvious
potential, GL said. An academy will be
opened in Dubai this October, which will be
used by the other Gulf States and the class
society is also in talks with Dubai Maritime
City about a co-operative partnership. Another
partnership is also in place with the Indian
Institute of Marine Engineers based in
Mumbai.
Other co-operative training ventures are
“
based in countries such as Vietnam and earlier
this year, GL recently opened GL Academy
Hellas, which is run from Piraeus. The class
society is also one of 12 partners in the soon
to be opened MTC Maritime Training Center
Hamburg (see page 23).
GL has found that the more popular
seminars are the ones that cover general
topics, such as basic shipping and technology,
for example for bank staff involved in the
maritime sector. Some of the courses will
include exercises involving individual and
group work and interactive sessions. "We do
not only show overheads," Schreeck
explained.
One of the more specific training courses
covers the 'Certified Coating Inspector'. This
course will be held between 16-22 November
and is already fully booked with 15
participants. The seminar has been put
together by GL in co-operation with
Muehlhan, which specialises in marine surface
protection.
As for GL's class portfolio, over 6,300
vessels totalling 70 mill gt are now under
regular technical supervision of GL.
In the space of 12 months, GL's fleet has
grown by 10 mill gt. "This is a milestone in
the history of the classification society," said
Dr Hermann Klein, member of GL's executive
board, at the classification society's Hellas
committee meeting in Piraeus at the beginning
of June.
"Based on the incoming orders we expect a
sustained growth rate again," he said.
To cope with the extra tonnage, GL has
increased its staff level particularly in East
Asia. In 2006 alone, a total of 312 employees
were hired worldwide. Since the beginning of
this year more than 300 international positions
were filled. Today the workforce totals over
4,100 worldwide.
In another move, GL has been authorised to
participate in the US Coast Guard's (USCG)
alternate compliance program (ACP).
As a result, US shipowners can select GL as
their recognised organisation, acting on behalf
of USCG. GL is one of only three non-US
classification societies to have a USCG ACP
authorisation.
ACP is a voluntary alternate process for a
US registered vessel to obtain a USCG
certificate of inspection by complying with the
standards of a delegated classification society,
including its ACP Supplement and
International Conventions.
In the space of 12 months, GL’s fleet has grown
by 10 mill gt. “This is a milestone in the history
of the classification society...based on the incoming orders
we expect a sustained growth rate again ”
- Dr Hermann Klein, member, Germanischer Lloyd Executive Board
August/September 2008 � TANKEROperator 21
TO
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