Seafarer Education: What Makes a Competent Trainer?
The following is a guest post from Angelica Baylon. Baylon is the Executive Secretary of IMAREST, an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute Philippines Branch and the MAAP External Relations Director.
Seafarers learn that, in passage planning, you must appraise, plan, execute and monitor in order to navigate safely between two points. The same can be said in steering a course towards becoming a competent trainer. To ensure that the knowledge, quality and experience of seafarer trainers is continually moving forward, the maritime industry needs to:
#1. Appraise: Trainers must know themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, along with any gaps in their knowledge and experience that need to be addressed for their students.
#2. Plan: Trainers must create their learning and development plan.
#3. Execute: Trainers must carry out the plan. This is the most difficult but part of the trainer’s responsibilities, however, they must deliver the course as planned.
#4. Monitor: Trainers need to check the plan if accomplished and to reflect on what went well and what didn’t They must find ways and means to build their competencies to move forward to being proficient, an expert and /or a master for their students.
“I was but the learner, now I am the master”
Experience and further quality learning are needed to build on a trainer’s competencies. For someone to become a good trainer, one first needs to be a good learner. As a trainee, the rules are given and followed without a sense of responsibility. Once trained as a mentor, the trainers develop the competencies required, and this is characterised by active decision-making when choosing a course of action. But these days just being competent isn’t enough…
IMO has identified minimum competencies as listed on the STCW Convention and Code, and to be promoted to the next level, someone must display greater proficiency above or beyond the minimum required competencies, be it STCW competencies or those related to management leadership.
"And as technology accelerates, it is very apparent that the competencies required today may not be the same competencies needed for tomorrow."
Based on accumulated qualifications, knowledge, competencies and experiences, a “competent” trainer will move forward from rigid adherence to rules to a more intuitive mode of reasoning. These will be transformed into a proficient trainer (competency + experience), an expert trainer and/or a master trainer. For the competencies of trainers to move to proficiency, expertise and mastery, it must form part of their aspirations, goals and plans.
“For success, attitude is equally as important as ability”
Based on my observations, experience, and analysis of the various reading materials found in GlobalMET, IMarEST and Nautical Institute magazines, the following techniques have been summarised for trainers to build up their “competencies”:
C: Complete MET studies, sea experience, training courses, COCs (Minimum requirements) and any related higher level of maritime studies available to build up one’s qualifications.
O: Observe colleagues and take inspiration from others. Be open to new things and learning like the Online-resources (NI, IMAREST, GlobalMET, IMO, AMEA etc.) free manuals, journals, video tutorials, books etc) and /or ask mentors or assessors for feedbacks.
M: Monitor new developments in technology and regulations and prepare to use them effectively in mentoring or in teaching new trends.
P: Plan using various tools such as SWOT analysis and other techniques.
E: Engage in drills and hands on Training to hone proficiency.
T: Train the trainers, by teaching, you will learn more.
E: Encode or document goals and learning activities in a journal so you won’t forget what you have learnt, it is also useful for performance review, reflecting and for future planning for professional development
N: Never give up even if you fail, learn from the experience and do it better the next time.
C: Create new knowledge through the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Scheme by GlobalMET, NI and IMarEST
I: Involve and Interact with various like minded people, experts and role models by being an active member of professional international associations like NI, IMarEST and GlobalMET.
E: Execute the good learning activities. Practice makes perfect.
S: Share your knowledge.
While knowledge and skills will allow the trainers to progress, it is essentially the Trainers’ attitude to act and apply his knowledge, skills and abilities (competency) for the common good. Continuous learning through education (CPD trainings) is a must for trainers regardless of age (young or old) and rank (OS or Captain/Master/Chief Engineer). There is no limit to the degree of knowledge, quality and experience that can be achieved as a trainer. It is dependent on the trainers’ attitude to move forward exponentially towards lifelong learning.
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Angelica Baylon holds six professional degrees, is on the board of several councils and has taught at the University level for over 25 years. Baylon has been called upon to speak globally on topics as diverse as renewable energy, disaster preparedness and training for maritime professionals. Here is a short-list of Baylon’s current roles: Secretary General of NI Philippines, IMarEST Philippines & Pioneer MAAP Director for External Relations; adviser of Women in Maritime Philippines (WIMAPHIL), TREEDC Ambassador to the Philippines for Tennessee Renewable Energy & Economic Development Council & University of Tennessee Institute of Public Service; Secretary General in the Philippines for Nautical Institute (NI) UK & the International Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMAREST); and lastly MAAP contact person for the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU), the Asia Marine Educators Association (AMEA) and the GlobalMET New Zealand.