Careers in the Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) industry, as used in the oil & gas, renewables industry, will take centre platform on Thursday 15 March, 12.30pm, where the Managing Director from Maritime Technology & Competence Solutions (MTCS Ltd), will be delivering a speech, as part of the Oceanology International Show, Careers Day.

Richard Warburton, Managing Director for MTCS Ltd says:

“I will be talking to students on the challenges of securing a career in a competitive industry, in the present economic climate. Providing invaluable assistance to personnel wishing to secure a career in the ROV Industry, I will also cover how recruitment to the ROV industry is conducted. In addition, I will mention:

Pre-requisites for personnel i.e. Technical Background etc; Training Requirements; and an Overview of the recruitment processes in the ROV Industry. It is also my intention to provide an outline of life in the industry and what a new recruit can expect to see when they go offshore.”

Maritime Training & Competency Solutions (MTCS) is internationally acknowledged as the most experienced and professional underwater technology training centre in the world, and has a proven track record in career development.

With careers in mind, Richard continues: “We appreciate that choosing the right training centre for candidates is vital to their personal development and ultimately their future career. We provide industry-leading training to major subsea contracting companies all over the world and welcome many candidates. Those on our courses, who will come from an engineering background, are building upon existing skill sets, which can be easily transferred and applied to the offshore industry. For this reason we see many of our course delegates finding successful offshore careers with companies who see and appreciate the benefits of employing candidates who are MTCS trained.”

In addition to the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Induction course, MTCS has many safety, technical and supervisory courses to choose from for personnel once they have established a career in the industry. MTCS is also the recognised and accredited certifying body for Personnel Competence within the ROV Industry.

Richard concluded: “Our dedicated team of instructors will help candidates in their quest for employment; offering one-to-one time to go over their CV and bring out the best they have to offer in it. Through working for global offshore corporations we have key leads and contacts within the industry and are able to advise on current employment opportunities.

“All of our successful candidates are registered into the MTCS Ltd competence management program, which is included in our course fee. This enables MTCS Ltd delegates to continue their personal and professional development when offshore, leading to further certification – a service which no other training centre can provide.”

For any further queries regarding courses, please telephone 015394 48233 or contact enquiries@mtcs.info.

Rare Bronze Ram Find during a Forces Resettlement Process

 RAF engineer, Ian Woodbridge couldn’t believe his luck, when his resettlement process not only gave him valuable training in the use of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), but also took him to far flung parts of the Adriatic to uncover a rare bronze ram, dating mid 3^rd century BC.

Woodbridge, due to exit the RAF next June, is currently stationed at BrizeNorton, serving with 33(Eng) Sqn, Ground Engineers. As part of his resettlement process, he recently underwent 2 weeks training with Maritime Training & Competence Solutions (MTCS), which is based in Windermere, Cumbria. 

 Commenting on his training, Woodbridge said: “MTCS is perfect for guys like me, who already have an engineering background, gained through my aviation career. They operate an informal class with small numbers and very helpful instructors. There’s a state-of-the-art ROV Simulator with a range of deepwater construction activities to gain hands-on experience, plus a further practical session with an ROV operation at Capenwray – a local Cumbrian quarry.”

 MTCS Ltd is a fully accredited assessment and training centre providing a spectrum of operational, technical and supervisory training to the offshore industry. The majority of their courses focus on ROV’s as used in the oil & gas, nuclear and renewables industry. 

 Since completing his course, MTCS have been in regular contact with Woodbridge, passing on his CV to companies who contact them. An ROV placement was offered to Woodbridge through MTCS to gain practical experience working with the RPM Nautical Foundation (RPMNF).

 Dr. Jeff Royal, Archaeological Director for RPM Nautical Foundation, said: “Our projects allow candidates, such as Woodbridge to acquire field experience, while working with our equipment and systems. Artefacts are recovered from the sea-bed with the use of an industry recognised Seaye Panther ROV, where objects are then returned to the surface for further investigation by me and other archaeologists. The ROV tasks for the candidates are both broad and of a high technical nature that newly-trained individuals don’t often have the opportunity to experience.”

 RPMNF offered field experience with all flights and travel paid for, where Woodbridge travelled to Tivat, Montenegro to join a 175-ton research vessel R/V Hercules. Using the RPMNF Seaye Panther ROV on board Hercules, Woodbridge said: “We were able to locate shipwrecks via mapping with a multibeam sonar, and afterwards launched the ROV to investigate targets that often produced stunning images via the ROV’s HD camera.”

 “We found numerous amphoral including a bronze ram from the mid-3^rd century BC, which the ROV recovered by using the manipulator arms to feed a lifting strap around it before using the vessel’s crane to raise it. After one week in Bar, Montenegro, I travelled to Sazan Island, Albania for another week then onto Trapani, Sicily for a further two weeks. I certainly believe the experience gained was second-to-none and the fact that the Royal Air Force enabled this all to happen was a very positive side to the resettlement process for me.”

 For further information and prices on ROV training, plus other course opportunities, please contact Richard Warburton, MTCS, Tel: 015394 48233 or email enquiries@mtcs.info.

Small class sizes, minimum entry requirements, excellent facilities and professional, knowledgeable instructors and combine to make an intensive, effective and efficient route into the industry for individuals with the right qualifications and background.

For more information about the course, please see:

www.ROVTraining.org

Or contact us if you have a specific query.

Information regarding our bespoke ROV training for operating companies is available in the Bespoke Technical Training section of this site.

The careers fair is designed to inform service leavers of the career options available to them upon leaving the forces. There will be a wide range of training providers and companies alike available to chat to regarding careers and further education opportunities.

MTCS will be on hand to advise those wishing to start a successfull career in the offshore industry as an ROV Pilot Technician. We can be found on stand number 54. For those already wishing to partake on one of this years ROV courses, please bring along your CV for confirmation of eligibility.

“It’s nice to see that the experience and skills gained within the services are both useful and transferable within the ROV world”.- CPOAEM

For further details about this even please visit the CTP site at  http://www.ctp.org.uk/ctp/serviceleavers/events/details/396225

(L-R) Archie Workman, Tim Farron MP, Ian Durrell, Richard Warburton

Tim Farron MP and Archie Workman from Invest in Cumbria recently visited Maritime Training and Competence Solutions Ltd (MTCS) to find out more about the underwater technology training they provide at Windermere Business Centre. MTCS Ltd specialise in providing training and competence assurance to personnel involved in all aspects of underwater activities. The company has a strong client base in the oil and gas industry worldwide and is actively seeking to expand the business to service the needs of the renewable energy industry.

After looking around the training facility which includes an ROV simulator and training rooms for High Voltage, Hydraulics and Fibre Optics tuition, Richard Warburton, Managing Director of MTCS Ltd, explained how the company had been preparing to meet the demands for skilled staff in the offshore wind energy industry. When production from Round 3 wind farms gets under way there will be a significant demand for suitable trained/qualified engineers. Experienced personnel from the oil and gas industry or other engineering disciplines will potentially be able to take advantage of new career opportunities in the renewable energy sector both above and beneath the sea surface. Richard Warburton commented that “MTCS Ltd are developing courses to enable engineers to take advantage of those opportunities. The underwater activities required in the offshore renewable energy industry will include underwater construction and installation, inspection and survey of subsea structures and installation of power cables.”

MTCS Ltd has sought to be proactive in the development of a competence framework for the offshore renewable energy industry through membership of Envirolink Northwest and Renewable UK (formerly BWEA).  Richard Warburton, serves on the Skills and Education Sub Group of Renewable UK. This group has been working hard over the last few years to agree skills and competencies required in the emerging renewable energy industry. The first round of modern apprenticeships in wind technology have begun and hopefully more will follow soon along with the development of bridging courses for qualified engineers.

 Archie Workman, Investment Development Manager for Invest in Cumbria has been working with MTCS Ltd to signpost opportunities for business growth in the renewable energy sector and he said that “It is amazing to see we have a centre of excellence right here in the heart of Cumbria who are training ROV pilots and technicians in the offshore, renewables and nuclear sectors of the world. This is a growth industry and one we fully intend to support”

Tim Farron MP found the visit very interesting and commented “We should all be really proud of MTCS.  Based in Windermere, they are providing services that are of immense value to companies working in extreme conditions on the seabed across the world.  I got the chance to pilot their simulation underwater craft which gave me a sense of how immensely specialised their field is, and how vital their work is as we seek to support our vital energy industries.”

Maritime Training & Competence Solutions Ltd (MTCS) is able to provide a wide range of training and competence management services in to meet  our customer’s needs, from competence management frameworks and experienced personnel training packs , through to operational training covering a wide range of industry disciplines , such as ROV, High Voltage, Hydraulics and Fibre Optics.  All of MTCS’s training is to the highest possible industry standards when it comes to safety and quality, complying fully with IMCA’s (International Marine Contractors Association)  industry guidelines at all times. The industry experience our trainers have is superior to any other training available within the market.

Maritime Training & Competence Solutions Ltd will be exhibiting at Renewable UK 2010 at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) in Glasgow from 2^nd November – 4^th November, and would be more than happy to explain a little more about what we do and the ways in which our training and competence management can assist you, or alternatively, if you would like to speak to us about a forthcoming project, MTCS’s  Managing Director, Richard Warburton, and our Renewable Energy Marketing Coordinator, Judith Moore,  will be on hand to answer any of your questions. We are exhibiting on the Envirolink Pavilion, situated at stand 233, in the main exhibition hall and look forward to seeing you. MTCS will also be exhibiting at the careers event on the last day and would  welcome the opportunity to discuss the ways in which our training could assist your career within the Renewable Energy market.

Building upon the success of our attendance at the European CTP fair in Herford, Germany; MTCS were on hand to advise and help individuals interested in the world class training and Competence Management schemes that Maritime Training & Competence Solutions provide.

MTCS Ltd have now held the preferred suppliers badge for well over a year.  Ian Durrell, Director of Services said, “Being awarded the ‘preferred supplier’ status means we are recognised for our industry renowned high standards”. Delegates who may be interested in the course can see the independent ratings given by past MTCS graduates from the forces, on the ELC website. At the time of publishing MTCS’s rating from past service personnel was 96%.

Training many ex-military personnel has provided the market with a wealth of MTCS competent ROV Pilot Technicians who have the necessary work ethics and transferable skill sets to embark on a rewarding and successful career.

Director of Services, Ian, having previously served more than twenty years in the forces stated “Many of the transferable skills our delegates possess from the military are openly sought after within the industry. Employers like to see individuals who are very hard working, conscientious, highly trained and reliable.”

The key differential that sets Maritime Training & Competence Solutions training in a class of its own is that we are the only training provider in the world to offer competency schemes to develop professional qualifications and certification long after our delegate’s initial course. It is fair to say that no other training provider is able to give such rounded and continuous training so far after the delegate’s initial course.

The MTCS Competence Scheme allows our graduates to work through the various competencies to achieve certification as; Pilot Tech 1, Submersible Engineer, Supervisor through to Offshore Supervisor. This is completed when offshore and is deployed to our graduates on either a flash drive or CD-Rom.

Ian Durrell (right)

MTCS Ltd had a successful day at the CTP careers and training fair in north Germany. We met numerous men and women who are looking into training for careers within the offshore industry, many of whom had been recommended by their peers to look into MTCS’s courses. MTCS director of services and senior trainer Mr Ian Durrell was on hand to advise on careers within the offshore industry and our ELC funded courses, such as our ROV Pilot Technician course and our Maritime Security Officer Course. Those entitles to ELC funding can save up to 80% on our courses.

The London Excel venue was again packed for this year’s biennial Oceanology event.  Over the three days the event was held, almost 7000 visitors passed through the doors from a range of 75 countries. Total attendance figures saw a growth of 4% on the previous events record. 

MTCS Ltd enjoyed an interesting and informative series of seminars and discussions at this year’s safety conference, held at the Marriott Hotel, Singapore. The theme for this years event was ‘Safety is our Common Language’.  The various topics raised lots of varying views and ideas in particular with reference to Competence Management within the offshore industry. A key consensus coming through was that self regulation is quite simply not enough; companies need to be establishing formal and regulated competence management schemes.