Education and training, implications of STCW '95 and implications of the new standards

MASSTER is concerned with the harmonisation of maritime education and the standardisation of simulator exercises in particular. The project is sponsored by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Transport (DGVII) within the Fourth Framework Programme.
Simulation technology is developing rapidly with consequences for the cost of training and technology application. The need for simulator-based training for seafarers is well recognised. The new regulations of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping, as revised in 1995 (STCW 95), are generally welcomed as an important step toward the world wide introduction of simulator technology into the education and training of seafarers. With the entry into force of the STCW 95 Convention in February 1997 the pressure is on to meet radically changed training requirements. Within this context the European Commission is turning its attention to the harmonisation of simulator training and requested for a research program into harmonisation in simulator training.
In this paper the MASSTER project is summarised and some parts are highlighted. Two parts are chosen: The vast database of simulator exercises produced which is directly coupled to the STCW’95 structure and the first steps into the use of simulators for the assessment of both navigational and managerial skills as required for watchkeeping. This paragraph gives the summary of the MASSTER project. The following paragraph presents the structure of the vast database of exercises. The last paragraph reports the development of an assessment tool on human factors related issues. The paper is completed with conclusions and recommendations for further work.