This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

CURRENT EU PROJECT:

Project summary

Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) has been fully implemented worldwide since February 1999, specifying the GMDSS communication equipment for marine vessels, and rescue procedures for vessels and humans at sea with the objective to maximise safety at sea. People working in marine areas – mariners, i.e. seafarers, fishermen, yacht captains, sailing boat skippers, marina workers, nautical science students/cadets, etc. must be qualified through different VET to operate the specified equipment.
 

All mariners must obtain the appropriate type of GMDSS certificate, however, the access to the required knowledge is limited (traditional VET is expensive and distance learning is not feasible except for the SRC course) which doesn’t encourage regular refreshing of knowledge – lifelong learning even when it is crucial to ensure safety of the crew, passengers and freight (even though this is not a legal requirement).
 

GMDSS VET providers can’t offer distance learning, because they do not use appropriate technology to be able to do that. Beside that they are dependent on expensive computer simulators of the GMDSS communication devices without royalty free licenses.
 

The aim of the project is to offer online GMDSS courses to mariners and to offer dedicated e-learning system to GMDSS VET providers to be able to maintain such courses.
 

To achieve the objectives, the consortium will develop complete online LRC course with all the GMDSS communication devices simulators needed because all the GMDSS courses overlap with the SRC course (already exists) and LRC course, but on different knowledge levels and enhance the existing GMDSS e-learning system. All results will be available on multilanguage www.egmdss.com in at least 10 language versions.
 

The products of this project are focused on 2 target groups: mariners and GMDSS VET providers. The prevised impact on mariners is to increase their interest in initial GMDSS VET and knowledge updating. The prevised impact on GMDSS VET providers is usage of the GMDSS e-learning system to offer their GMDSS courses online. All that should improve safety at sea resulting in lower loss of human lives and material damages.
 

Aims and objectives

The aims of the proposed project are:
- to offer dedicated e-learning system to GMDSS VET providers,
- to enable them to deliver al GMDSS courses online,
- to offer online GMDSS courses to mariners,
- to encourage GMDSS life-long learning and knowledge updating to maintain the level of professional knowledge and skills of mariners,
- to facilitate do-it-yourself learning as well as tutoring,
- to facilitate distance learning,
- to improve safety at sea due to better vocational training/qualification of mariners resulting in lower loss of human lives and material damages.

The most efficient way to achieve all objectives at the same time is:
- development of complete online LRC course with all the GMDSS communication devices simulators needed because all GMDSS courses overlap with the SRC (already exists) and LRC course, but on different knowledge levels and
- enhancement of the existing GMDSS e-learning system.
 

Project products

1. Improved GMDSS e-learning system, which will:
- be accessible on the internet web site www.egmdss.com (note that the current system is already accessible on the same internet web site),
- include at least the SRC and LRC course,
- target all mariners and those people who aspire to become one (several million in EU alone),
- enable GMDSS VET providers to add all GMDSS courses to the e-learning system,
- enable GMDSS VET providers to improve any GMDSS course from the e-learning system when needed,
- enable GMDSS VET providers to use any available GMDSS communication devices simulator and any available multimedial content in any GMDSS course,
- have multilanguage support for any language,
- include user manual for GMDSS VET providers in English,
- have some social network elements, at least forum and chat.

2. The GMDSS LRC course, which will:
- be a part of the GMDSS e-learning system,
- include the GMDSS communication devices simulators (MF/HF DSC radio and Inmarsat-C terminal) - putting a learner into an active role - instead of answering questions the learner actively practices and verifies his knowledge on a simulator,
- be available in English, Slovenian, Turkish, Italian, French, Polish, Finnish, Spanish, Norwegian and Dutch (and possibly other languages),
- include real-life animation of the GMDSS communication device operation (conveying to the learner how a device operates),
- include separate quizzes for each chapter,
- be developed considering the harmonised examination procedures for maritime radio operator’s certificates (CEPT/ERC/RECOMMENDATION 31-05 E) issued by European Radiocommunication Office,
- be certified with a BTEC vocational education certificate by world renowned awarding body EDEXCEL.
 

Project contractor and partners

CONTRACTOR

SPINAKER D.O.O.

SONČNA POT 8, 6320 PORTOROŽ

PARTNERS

Offshore BVBA

Beekstraat 45, 9800 Deinze

Belgium

Universidad de Cádiz

Spain

Suojantie 2, 26100 Rauma

Iroon Polytechniou Ave 96, 18536 Piraeus

Via Toledo156, 80132 Napoli

Dellewal 8, P.O.Box 26, 8880 AA Terschelling West

Waly Chrobrego ½ str., 70-500 Szczecin

Abramova 12, 1000 Ljubljana

UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI

Kongresni trg 12, 1000 Ljubljana

Slovenia

İstasyon Mah., Hacıoğlu Sok., Tuzla, Istanbul, 34940

University of Warwick Science Park, Barclays Venture Centre, Sir William Lyons Road, Coventry, CV4 7EZ

THE FIRST EU PROJECT THROUGH WHICH WE ENHANCED THE PILOT E-LEARNING SYSTEM:

Project summary

Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) has been in operation worldwide since 1st February 1999, specifying GMDSS communication equipment for marine vessels, and rescue procedures for vessels and humans at sea with the objective to maximise safety at sea. People working in marine areas – mariners - seafarers, fishermen, yacht captains, sailing boat skippers, marina workers, nautical science students/cadets, etc. must be qualified to operate the specified equipment. Vocational qualification is certified through internationally recognised certificates that are prescribed based on navigation area and vessel type.

This professional qualification is crucial for safety which is evident from the following published facts:

• 80% of accidents at sea are caused by human error because the regulations and standards that do exist have been ignored. - IMO (International Maritime Organisation), 13 January 2005
• In the last 10 years almost 2000 ships (ships of 100 Gross Registered Tons and above) were lost with more than 5000 victims. - IMO, FSI.3/Circ.6, 23 February 2005
• These are some of the reasons that young people today do not seem to find seafaring an attractive or appealing career. ISF/BIMCO statistics predict a 40.000 shortfall in navigation officers worldwide by 2010. – IMO, World Maritime Day 2003, J/8351, 2003

The project focuses on the provision of vocational education and continuing vocational training for Short Range Certificate (SRC) which is mandatory for mariners operating vessels of up to 300 Gross Registered Tons within 30 Nautical Miles from coast.

All mariners with adequate professional qualification must also obtain the SRC, however, access to the required knowledge is limited which doesn’t encourage regular refreshing of knowledge – life-long learning. Keeping the SRC skills up-to-date is crucial because emergencies at sea occur rarely. This knowledge and skills should be regularly refreshed to ensure safety of crew, passengers and freight (even though this is not a legal requirement). SRC certificates are internationally recognised throughout the EU.

The project outcome will be a GMDSS e-learning system accessible on the Internet web site www.egmdss.com which is based on a pilot that has been developed in cooperation with Adapta d.o.o. (one of the partners in this project proposal).

The GMDSS e-learning system will:

• include SRC course for which vocational education certificate will be obtained by awarding body EDEXCEL,
• enable obtaining knowledge required for an SRC award as well as support life-long learning and knowledge updating,
• target all mariners and those people who aspire to become one (several million in EU alone),
• be available in English 13 months from project start to obtain user feedback (special test user groups to actively participate in the system design and development will be established in almost each partner country),
• be available also in Slovenian, Greek, Turkish, Italian, Polish, Finnish, Spanish and Dutch (and possibly other languages) 19 months from project start,
• include GMDSS communication device simulators (putting a learner into an active role - instead of answering questions the learner actively practices and verifies their knowledge on a simulator),
• include real-life animation of GMDSS communication device operation (conveying to the learner how a device operates),
• facilitate do-it-yourself learning as well as tutoring,
• facilitate distance learning.

Based on our experience running the pilot in Slovenia (2000 users yearly) and yearly number of SRC awards in different EU countries (14000 in UK, 7000 in France, 1000 in Slovenia...) we estimate an uptake of the e-learning system of at least 200,000 EU citizens, doubling this figure if non-EU citizens are also considered.

The project should encourage regular refreshing of knowledge and skills required for an SRC– life-long learning, because it will provide an easy access to required knowledge and skills. Better vocational qualification of mariners should ensure the desired effect of improved safety at sea resulting in lower loss of human lives and material damage.

Project contractor and partners

CONTRACTOR

SONČNA POT 8, 6320 PORTOROŽ

PARTNERS

PLAZA DE PALACIO N 18, 08003 BARCELONA

Universidad de Cádiz

Spain

Suojantie 2, 26100 Rauma

Iroon Polytechniou Ave 96, 18536 Piraeus

Via Toledo156, 80132 Napoli

Dellewal 8, P.O.Box 26, 8880 AA Terschelling West

Waly Chrobrego ½ str., 70-500 Szczecin

ABRAMOVA 12, 1000 LJUBLJANA

İstasyon Mah., Hacıoğlu Sok., Tuzla, Istanbul, 34940

University of Warwick Science Park, Barclays Venture Centre, Sir William Lyons Road, Coventry, CV4 7EZ