450+ officer cadets to train at the National Maritime College of Ireland premises in Cork
Cork, Ireland – May 7, 2014 – GAC Training & Service Solutions (GTSS), the maritime training arm of global shipping, logistics and marine services provider GAC and the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI), has been awarded a four-year training contract with Chevron Shipping Company. It is the largest maritime training contract ever to be awarded in Ireland.
Under the new agreement, GTSS will train Chevron Shipping’s junior officer corps with basic skills training and provide engine room workshop skills for its junior engineers. Over the course of four years, more than 450 officers from around the world will receive maritime training through GTSS at the state-of-the-art National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) facility in Cork, Ireland.
The NMCI is a government facility, falling under the responsibility of Ireland’s Ministry for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, which has recently launched a trade mission to develop job opportunities, trade and investment in the country. Minister, Richard Bruton TD, welcomed the news of the contract: “At the centre of our action plan for jobs is delivering a powerful engine of exporting Irish industry, and as part of that plan we have doubled the number of trade missions since taking office. Today’s announcement by Irish organisation GTSS that it has won a major training contract with Chevron Shipping Company is a great example of the type of thing we are trying to support. Here is an Irish organisation, winning deals with a major US company, increasing its export sales and ultimately creating jobs in Ireland. I wish both parties every success with this project.”
The contract was signed at a ceremony at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC 2014) in Houston, Texas (USA), attended by Terry Luke, Manager, Marine Employee Learning & Development, Chevron Shipping Company; Conor Mowlds, Director of GTSS and Head of the National Maritime College of Ireland, and Minister Richard Bruton TD.
Conor Mowlds adds: “This agreement is testament to the high regard in which GTSS’s services are held by one of the world’s foremost shipping companies, and further strengthens the NMCI’s reputation as a world-class institution. We shall work closely with Chevron to deliver first class training for every one of their cadets who will walk through our doors over the course of the next four years.”
About GTSS
GAC joined forces with the NMCI to launch GAC Training & Service Solutions (GTSS) in 2010. GTSS combines the NMCI’s state-of-the-art facilities with GAC’s global reach and over 50 years of shipping experience. This partnership is focused on delivering a complete portfolio of training courses for both seafarers and shore-based shipping and commodity operations personnel, recognising that optimally trained staff can reduce physical, environmental and financial risks. Bespoke GTSS courses are tailored to suit the particular training requirements of maritime companies. Courses can be delivered at the NMCI or at the client’s location.
About NMCI
The National Maritime College of Ireland is a state-of-the-art $100m training facility in Cork. Located on a 10-acre waterside campus, NMCI’s facilities include a suite of 17 bridge, engine room, fleet work, VTS and GMDSS simulators, including one with 360-degree imaging, full-size ship engine and control rooms, workshops, electrical engineering facilities, Return to Scene digital imaging technology, a survival pool and fire-fighting training facilities. As well as training the next generation of Irish seafarers and meeting the training requirements of the Irish Naval Service, NMCI trains maritime professionals from around the world through GTSS.
About GAC Group
GAC is a global provider of integrated shipping, logistics and marine services. Emphasising world-class performance, a long-term approach, innovation, ethics and a strong human touch, GAC delivers a flexible and value-adding portfolio to help customers achieve their strategic goals.
Established since 1956, GAC employs over 10, 000 people in more than 300 offices worldwide.
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