RINA academy shares experience

Italian classification society RINA has launched a series of dedicated training courses for ship operators and shipyards, under the banner of the RINA Academy. Courses are currently available in the RINA head office in Genoa, in China and as customised packages on site for clients. Two dedicated training centres will open in Piraeus and in Turkey later this year.

Antonio Pingiori, managing director of the marine division of RINA, says, “We have a wealth of experience in shipyards and in improving the management of ships and companies. The RINA Academy allows our clients to access the benefits of that experience by developing their own staff. Personnel development is a key strategic investment for companies, and helping our clients to improve their skill sets is another way in which RINA helps them raise quality across the board.”

The Academy courses have been developed from the internal training programmes used to develop RINA?s own staff, and many now have external recognition from flag states and other validation bodies. The specifically marine-orientated courses from the Academy complement RINA?s courses for industry, provided through the RINA Training Factory.

The RINA Academy for Ship Operators provides courses for shipping company personnel and management companies at all levels and focuses on international regulations, ship building, operation and management, fleet management and specific vessel types. The RINA Academy for shipyards provides training packages intended for designers and builders and covers international regulations, ship design and building and specific vessel types.

Examples of courses include SMS internal auditor training, port state control inspection management, international rules updates, new building site team familiarisation, coating definition, maintenance and repair, marine metallurgy, welding and NDE, statutory requirements and inspections of oil and chemical tankers, planned maintenance of hull structures, environmental management of cargo ships and risk assessment and incident investigation.

Demand from both ship operators and yards has led to the development of training centres in Piraeus and also in Turkey, both of which will come into service during 2006. “These centres will offer timetabled courses open to all,” explains Pingiori. “But of course we can customise courses for specific companies and deliver them wherever they need them.”