How South Shields Marine School has been keeping courses afloat and seafarers shipshape worldwide during pandemic

South Shields Marine School has been making use of technology to keep seafarers around the world skilled-up during the pandemic

Those from as far afield as the Middle East and India are buoyed by being able to click into lessons after lecturers shifted all courses online.

While many have returned to the classroom, lessons are being filmed and posted to a global internet audience via the Microsoft Teams community platform.

It means those currently unable to travel to the UK and to the marine school – the world’s oldest purpose-built maritime training centre - can still take part in lectures.

The blend of onsite and remote learning is working so well some home nations students are also accessing sessions from the comfort of their own living rooms.

The move online has also opened up a world of opportunity for more experienced hands who are seeking to update their skills and qualifications.

Jon Milner, Head of School – Deck Officer Certification at the marine school, said they were also among those doing their learning via Teams.

He said: “When lockdown began, we had to look to the horizon of opportunity to create a new template of instruction.

“At first, we were unsure exactly how we would be affected, but we knew there would remain a demand for our teaching.

“The maritime sector is resilient and innovative, and global trade relies on the uptake of high-level skills that new recruits and experienced seafarers gain at this college and others like it.

“It is to the great credit of everyone involved in the teaching and technical side of our work that we have adapted so well to the challenges of implementing distance learning.

“Some students are onsite at the marine school and taking part in lessons as normal, but others currently prefer to take part in learning from a distance.”

Each workshop and classroom session is filmed and made available online, creating a responsive ‘virtual’ learning environment.

Cadets can participate ‘live’, adding their input as the lesson progresses or can catch up later via the internet.

The marine school, in Grosvenor Road, is recruiting and information is available at www.stc.ac.uk/marine or by calling 0191 427 3500.

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