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1 INTRODUCTION

The IMO STCW Convention requires that a cadet's

seagoing service must be recorded in a training record

book approved by the maritime administration

responsible for issuing certificates of competence.

Widely used On Board Training Record Book for

Officers in Charge of a Navigational Watch, to take

account of the amended competence requirements in

STCW 2010, which entered into force in January 2012.

The revised Record Book takes full account of the

competence standards stipulated by STCW 2010, such

as the use of Electronic Chart Display and Information

Systems (ECDIS) for Deck Cadets, application of

leadership and team working skills and proactive

measures to protect the marine environment. The

training tasks included have been developed to

ensure that cadets make the best use of their seagoing

service, and to help supervising officers make an

objective evaluation of whether cadets are competent.

The Record Book can be used by trainees in order to

provide documentary evidence to government

appointed assessors of having completed a properly

structured on-board training programme in

accordance with STCW 2010.

However, due to the continuous development of

shipping industry, companies started using digital

platforms which is based on ISF Record Book but

there are more detailed in the area of the specific

vessel type and company Safety Management Manual

as part of company Quality Documented

Management System (QDMS).

Therefore, the objective of this study is not only to

present in detail such a design of structured training

plan which meets the requirements and needs of the

fleet owned by vessels of various types and purposes,

but it is also aimed to investigate the process of

implementing and on-board realization such a

training plan, and its assessment in the perspective of

Modern Cadet Training. The Challenge Between the

arious Training Systems and New Demands Set by the

ndustry

K. Formela

, R. Bošnjak

& V. Pusch

Gdynia Maritime University, Gdynia, Poland

University of Split, Split, Croatia

BSM (Deutschland) Services GmbH & Co., Hamburg, Germany

ABSTRACT: Maritime transport responsible for as much as 90% of world trade, currently suffers from a

shortage of quali-fied officers. The 2010 International Convention on Standards of Training and Watchkeeping

(STCW) en-courages the international community to promote employment at sea among young people,

especially females. So far, the Cadet Record Book (CRB), based on International Seafarers’ Federation (ISF)

requirements is the basic and only document confirming obtaining the required qualifications by cadets to

become an officer. Due to the continuous progress of technology and the maritime industry demands, the

companies are developing their own (more detailed) cadet training systems. Such solutions enable a more

detailed approach to training which results in better preparation for future work at sea. In this paper, one such

system is presented in detail, which is already in use by one of the company and compares it to present training

requirements.

http://www.transnav.eu

the

International Journal

on Marine Navigation

and Safety of Sea Transportation

Volume 17

Number 4

December 2023

DOI: 10.12716/1001.17.04.

930

cadets. Based on these, conclusions may be drawn not

only with respect to the formal and industry and

shipowner's requirements but also the potential of

structuralized training plan over time. Last but not

least, these findings can help devise policies on future

cadets’ training process.

For the purposes of this research, cadets registered

in the BSM Cadet Training Program were requested to

complete the anonymous survey on a voluntary base.

At the end of survey period feedback has been

received from 283 cadets (45%).

The remainder of this paper is structured as

follows. First, the method by which data on training

plans was conducted and collected was presented.

Then, on this basis, the results of the surveys were

presented, which allowed to draw observations. These

are discussed in Chapter 4, which also outlines some

recommendations for future policy in the context of

cadets’ training process. The last section concludes the

article.

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS

The research aimed to investigate the process of

implementing and on-board realization such a

training plan, and its assessment in the perspective of

cadets. For this purpose, a questionnaire was

prepared, which cadets from the BSM company

registered in the Cadet Training Program filled in

during their training period. The analysis of the

feedback provided by the cadets allowed to formulate

answers to the questions presented in chapter 2.3

regarding the process of implementing and on-board

realization of a training plan and also the perspective

of cadets related to the specific Training Plan

implementation.

2.1 BSM Company overview

As the source for the purpose of this paper Bernhard

Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) resources were used.

BSM company is an integrated maritime solutions

provider. Managing a fleet of over 650 vessels, 20,000

seafarers and 2,000 shore-based employees enable the

delivery of safe, reliable and efficient ship

management services through a network of 11 ship

management, 25 crew service and four wholly-owned

maritime training centres across the world. Alongside

comprehensive ship management services, BSM offers

a suite of complementary maritime solutions that are

customised to meet individual customer

requirements. As a member of the Schulte Group,

BSM benefits from its over 135 years of experience in

the shipping industry. The main business areas of the

Schulte Group are ship owning, which has the longest

tradition in the Schulte family and is the core business

of Bernhard Schulte, and ship management operated

through Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM).

The Schulte Group additionally controls several

specialized maritime services companies, such as

Mariapps Marine Solutions, a leading maritime

software development company, and Schulte Marine

Concept, the newbuilding supervision arm of the

Group. Other services provided by member

companies of the Schulte Group are crew and guest

catering, inspection services, port agency services, and

many more.

Figure 1. The main business areas of the Schulte Group

2.2 BSM Cadet career development and training program

overview

BSM maintains a programme that caters for the

recruitment, selection, placement and development of

future Deck, Engine, Gas and Electro Technical

Officers within the company. Completion of the cadet

program during maritime practice is one of the formal

requirements enabling future promotion to an officer

position. From the company's perspective, it is a

guarantee of reliable preparation for future work,

which is based on procedures and practices used

within the company.

2.2.1 BSM Cadets career development and training plan

A Cadet is a graduate or undergraduate from a

university or academy approved by BSM. The

duration of Cadetship on board a sea-going ship is 12

months or as per local administration. The maximum

period for re-joining after completion of the Cadetship

is 24 months. BSM allows a maximum of two attempts

to pass the COC examination. Cadets who fail to pass

the examination are removed from the Cadet

Programme. An Apprentice Officer is a COC holder

who completed the Cadetship. He requires additional

onboard training to reach the level of competence as

required by BSM to perform Deck, Engine or Electro

Technical Officers duties without supervision. The

maximum duration as Apprentice Officer is 12

months of sea-going service. Apprentice Officers who

fail to meet the standard of performance set by BSM

are removed from the Cadet Programme. The career

development path is presented on the diagram in

Figure 2

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Figure 2. Flow chart regarding the promotions to officers for

Cadet rank groups

The Cadet rank is an “Officer” rank, and they

should be treated as such and accommodated and

organized under the Officers’ facilities. The right

Cadet and Apprentice Officer is being placed on the

right ship at the right time to facilitate dynamic and

diversified professional development. The Human

Resource Marine Department is responsible for the

development and coordination of the Cadet

Programme in conjunction with the Crew Service

Centers (CSC).

2.2.2 BSM Cadets Training Plan

Cadets who are assigned to BSM managed ships

participating in the Cadet Training Programme, must

complete the training plan as available in Cadet

Training PAL. The training plans are ship-specific and

prepared for each department. STCW requirements

for Officers in charge of an Engineering Watch

(Engine Cadet and Electro Technical Cadet) and

Officers in charge of a Navigational Watch (Deck

Cadet) are covered in each training plan. The training

plan is aligned with the ISF Cadet Record Book.

Additionally, it includes content required by BSM and

requested by third parties. The entire training plan is

based on cooperating modules (Figure 3), such as:

SeaRoster (where the cadet records his hours of work

and rest), Timesheet (based on previously registered

working hours in SeaRoster) which allows Cadets to

assign detailed tasks from the Training Plan to

recorded previously work hours in SeaRoster, main

Training Plan (which is described in details below)

and the Review Section (in which the cadet receives

guidance and assessments regarding his learning

process at regular intervals).

Figure 3. Cadet Training Plan main modules

Each training plan is divided into training blocks.

The training content is assigned and graded by the

Designated Training Officer onboard and the Training

Supervisor ashore at the end of each training block. A

final report confirms the completion of the onboard

training, shows the general training progress and

allows preparation for the Cadet’s next training plan.

A training plan has different layers and is

structured in the below-mentioned titles: Training

Blocks, Categories, Sections, Titles, Tasks, Sub Tasks

as it is shown on the figure 4.

Figure 4. Training Plan structure implemented in BSM

Cadet Training Module

The layers can be expanded or collapsed by

clicking on the appropriate icon available in front of

each layer on the left-hand side. The category and

section have an information icon that shows the

additional information/instructions for the specific

layer when clicked. The training block row includes

information about: training Block performance

(Results for approved Titles), completion date of

Training Block (Expected/Actual), duration date for a

Training Block, information Icon (Detailed description

of TB content), task Completion (Optional tasks

excluded) which presents figure 5.

Figure 5. Training Plan layers with additional information's

For a title, additional information will be displayed

only after completing the entries for the tasks and

requesting a title to be approved by the Training

Officer (Figure 6). Depending on the approval status

this might be: approval pending, approved or rejects.

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Figure 6. Approval status of tasks in Cadet Training Module

Tasks need to be completed to approve a title.

There are 3 different options available for a task:

normal (can be completed without additional

requirements), including Sub Tasks (require various

sub-tasks to be completed) or optional Tasks (can be

completed but do not affect the completion status).

Once a task is marked as completed, an icon will

indicate it as fully completed (Green) or partially

completed (Orange). In addition, the completion date

will be shown for the task.

A training plan constructed in this way allows

Cadets to perform not only all the tasks from the ISF

Cadet Record book, but also allows them to learn the

detailed specifics of the vessel and internal company

regulations and procedures. All tasks are spread over

time, which allows them to be completed in a planned

and regularly assessed training block. This solution

gives a lot of control on monitoring progress in the

education process.

2.3 Methodology of the Survey

The survey had been carried out from 9th of

September 2022 until 30th of September 2022 and was

targeting cadets registered in the BSM Cadet Training

Program being on board or ashore. In total 630 cadets

were requested to complete the anonymous survey on

a voluntary basis. At the end of the survey period

feedback was received from 283 cadets (45% response

rate). The aim of the survey was to receive

information, formulated in the form of Research

Questions (RQ) about:

RQ1: What is the role and how important are the

processes related to the implementation of the

training plan before embarkation?

RQ2: How the training plan is implemented and how

it affects routine work during the practice on board

the vessel?

RQ3: Are the Training Plan structure in the on-board

learning process and the assistance of the Training

Officers and Training Supervisors helpful?

RQ4: Can certain recommendations be made based on

the above conclusions in order to improve quality of

on-board cadets training process?

At the end of the survey the opportunity was

given to insert comments which have been used by

205 cadets. These comments are not included in this

paper.

3 RESULTS

The responses provided by the cadets were collected

and presented in the form of charts. This aggregation

of data allows for the separation of groups and their

percentages for each answer. This approach allowed

for the presentation of conclusions and

recommendations regarding the cadet training

process, which are included in Chapter 4 of this

article.

3.1 The operational process prior joining as vessel

One of the key element of the implementation of the

training plan, which is carried out before signing-on

to the vessel, is the possibility of a voluntary meeting

between the cadet and his Training Supervisor from

the shore. During such a meeting, the supervisor has

the opportunity to present the requirements that will

be set for the cadet during the implementation of the

training plan. The meeting also discusses the practical

aspect of implementing the tasks from the plan. Of the

people who took part in the survey, over 70%

participated in such a meeting (see Figure 7).

Figure 7. Participating in a meeting with the Training

Supervisor

Approximately 85% of cadets who participated in

the meeting expressed a positive opinion (strongly

agree or agree) about it. Only 5% of respondents did

not share the opinion that this meeting would help

them easier implementation of their training plan.

10% of cadets could not clearly state whether such a

meeting was necessary. A detailed summary of

responses is presented on Figure 8.

Figure 8. The usefulness of the meeting in terms of future

implementation of the training plan

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3.2 On board operation and handling of the Cadet Module

One of the concerns raised during meetings with

cadets was the availability of free time to make entries

in the training plan. A specific question was asked to

cadets already implementing such a plan whether

there is enough time for it. The answers to this

question are presented on the figure 9.

Figure 9. Availability of time to make entries in the training

plan.

3.3 Cadet Training Module as a training support

As mentioned eśarlier, the main purpose of the

training module is to support the cadet in the learning

process during sea practice. Due to the large number

of tasks to be performed during on-board period, the

module allows for their appropriate distribution in

time and regular assessment of progress. The survey

asked whether the module supports them in the on-

board learning process. The results are presented in

figure 10.

Figure 10. Cadet Training Module as a training support

More than three-quarters of the surveyed cadets

confirmed that the implemented training module

supports them in the on-board learning process. 51

out of 275 cadets who took part in the survey could

not clearly define role of the training module. Only

5% answered that the training plan did not help them

in the process of acquiring new skills. Detailed data

regarding the answer to this question are included in

Figure 10. Also one of the questions in the survey was

about the structure of the training plan itself.

Figure 11. Structure of the Training Plan

As shown in Figure 11, the majority of cadets

(approx. 81%) believe that the structure of the training

plan is appropriate (strongly agree or agree). Tasks in

the training plan distributed over time in this way

allow for their better implementation during learning

process.

4 DISCUSSION

The obtained results are discussed in Section 4.1. The

consecutive Section 4.2 formulates recommendations

based on them in order to improve on board training

process to meet not only formal requirements, but

also those set by the industry/shipping companies,

while Section 4.3 discusses limitations and

uncertainties related to the performed study. During

this meeting, they are introduced to how they can

practically implement these tasks on the vessel.

4.1 Findings

The conducted research confirmed how important it is

to properly introduce the cadet to the process of

implementing the training plan that he will

implement during the on-board training period. Often

this is their first contract on a seagoing merchant fleet

ship. Cadets participating in the meeting with the

training supervisor prior to their embarkation have

the opportunity to get familiar what are the

expectations for their upcoming practice (RQ1).

Cadets who have been properly trained before

embarkation have no problem with routinely carrying

out the tasks from the training plan. Additional tasks

that go beyond the mandatory ISF requirements do

not make additional difficulties in routine day-work

at vessel. They allow in a structured way to prepare

the cadet for future work as an officer with the

internal requirements of a given company on a

particular type of vessel (RQ2). The organization of

the training plan itself, in the opinion of the cadets,

helps them in the learning process (RQ3).

4.2 Recommendations

Based on the presented and discussed results, certain

recommendations can be drafted (RQ4):

− regular meetings should be organized for new

cadets to introduce them to the tasks they will

have to complete during their on-board training

period;

− in order to verify the obtained results of its

reliability, it would be necessary to carry out the

cross-national study within other companies and

934

compare the different solutions for implementing

and on-board realization a specific training plan;

− the training plan for cadets should be extended to

include internal company requirements and

procedures as well as knowledge of how to

operate specific devices on various types of ships.

4.3 Limitations

Any scientific study can be characterized by some

limitations, and so is the one described. Firstly, the

study only investigated the process of implementing

and on-board realization a specific training plan

within one specific company - cadets from the BSM

company registered in the Cadet Training Program.

The results may vary if a wider sample is considered,

involving cadets from other companies with different

Training Plans. Performing such a cross-industry

study would be a good opportunity to also strengthen

cooperation and create a global framework for

discussion regarding the onboard training process.

Secondly, the design of the study did not allow for

statistical verification of its reliability – its purpose

was merely to investigate the issues raised without

any initial assumptions. This must be addressed and

corrected in a cross-national study that should be

pursued as suggested in Section 4.2.

Last but not least, the entrants may have

misunderstood at least some of the questions.

However, none of the respondents raised any concern

about the clarity of the questionnaire.

5 CONCLUSIONS

The obtained results showed that structured training

plan which cadets have to follow during their on-

board period allows to perform not only all the tasks

from the ISF Cadet Record book, but also to learn the

detailed specifics of the vessel and internal company

regulations and procedures. Due to the large number

of tasks to be performed during practice, it is

important to plan them well in time. The

implementation of such a plan sets new standards in

the process of training future maritime personnel.

They bring many benefits, such as a more

comprehensive approach to the specificity and

requirements related to a given company's procedures

as well as the operation of advanced equipment on

highly technologically advanced vessels.

However, it is necessary to point out that this type

of solutions require continuous work and

improvement of the content included in the training

plan. In such a dynamically developing industry as

maritime transport, many changes can be observed in

applicable procedures and standards. The role of a

training supervisor is therefore crucial. Its aim is to

constantly monitor and assessment the cadet's

training process as well as provide insight into the

content he implements, making sure it is up to date.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors are grateful to the BSM Company to use their

resources and who helped to distribute the questionnaire

among respondents. The study was supported by Gdynia

Maritime University internal grants #WN/2023/PZ/01 (for

Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Data

curation, Validation, Investigation, Writing and

visualization – original draft, review & editing).

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