The GTSS team had the opportunity to travel to Dubai last week to meet with different members of the GAC team at the GAC Headquarters.
Dubai is located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf and is one of the seven emirates that make up the country. The city of Dubai is located on the emirate’s northern coastline. It has emerged as a global city and business hub of the Persian Gulf region, and is a major transport hub for both passengers and cargo.
The purpose of the visit was to firstly introduce our new GTSS team to GAC in Dubai and to explore the synergies between GAC Corporate Academy and GAC Training and Service Solutions (GTSS). We intend to build on our current course offerings with GAC Bunkers going forward and it was a great opportunity to discuss future plans between both groups.
James O’Byrne, Joy Gillen, Conor Mowlds and Ruth Murphy
Pictured, from the left, are James O’Byrne, General Manager GTSS, Joy Gillen, Marketing Executive GTSS, Conor Mowlds, Managing Director GTSS and Ruth Murphy, Finance Manager.
Who are GTSS?
GAC Training and Services Solutions is part of the GAC Group (global shipping, logistics and marine services provider) with over 10,000 employees operating in 300 offices worldwide. In partnership with the National Maritime College of Ireland, we provide expert delivery of a portfolio of training courses for both seafarers and shore-based shipping personnel.
GTSS combines the NMCI’s state-of-the-art facilities (including a 17 bridge simulator suite and survival pool) with GAC’s global reach and 50 years of shipping experience. Our bespoke GTSS courses are tailored to suit the particular training requirements of maritime companies and groups. Clients from the all areas have worked with us to develop customised training on our state of the art marine simulators. We can also provide a suite of courses for companies looking to train their employees in numerous maritime short courses.
Courses are developed and delivered by some of the most respected names in maritime training.
Conor Mowlds,Damien O’Donoghue, Ruth Murphy, James O’Byrne & Joy Gillen
For further course details contact Joy Gillen, Marketing Executive for GTSS;
Our Operations Manager – Ray Johnson & Damien Murphy – NCO i/c Seamanship Training from the Irish Naval Service pictured at the National maritime College, Ringaskiddy.
National Maritime College of Ireland have invested in excess of 60 million euros into their state of the art training facilities. This has created a centre of excellence throughout Europe and has put us at the forefront of training centres globally.
We are an OPITO and Renewable UK approved training provider and all our instructors have relevant maritime experience. We are conveniently located in Cork, Ireland and easily accessible by air, road and rail networks. The fact that there is no VAT on training services in Ireland and the favourable EURO/GBP foreign exchange rate makes us a very cost effective offshore training centre for organisations internationally.
What is a FOET?
This 1-Day offshore course is designed to meet further emergency training requirements for oil and gas industry personnel. Delegates will be required to demonstrate their level of knowledge and understanding of the safety training course content. Delegates will be given further training to enhance and complement their existing knowledge of the hazards encountered when working on offshore installations and the course forms part of our ongoing emergency training programme.
Delegates successfully completing the course will have refreshed and updated their knowledge and skills in:
– Helicopter Underwater Escape Training & Emergency Breathing Systems. – Fire fighting and Self Rescue. – First Aid.
Today the NMCI welcomed Barbara Hempel, project manager for PALS, to launch the PALS initiative in the college.
PALS is an acronym for Peer Assisted Learning and Support. The social side of PAL’s is what we have introduced here at NMCI. It is derived from the L.I.S.T.E.N. (Listen & Involve Students to Empower New Beginnings) peer mentoring service in CIT. In layman’s terms it’s like a buddy system. It improves the first year student’s experience of college through social mentoring.
So what is PALS all about?
Take a moment and think back to when you were getting ready to go offshore you were probably a nervous wreck of excitement…. It was more than likely daunting going into a new environment and not knowing anybody and wondering would you make friends. For some people it can be exciting and for others it can be nerve wrecking.
PALS takes the pressure away. It helps you settle in, get to know people, learn the ropes and have an overall positive experience of the new journey ahead of you.
It improves the student’s experience of placement through social mentoring. The PALS initiative provides both support and guidance to students. It creates that social connection with other students which can be hard for some to achieve and instils confidence in students. By having a senior student as a mentor it gives students an opportunity to discuss possible pre placement issues and sponsorship issues which the mentor will have experience in.
Not only a mentor, your PAL helps you develop as a person. By gaining confidence your communication skills, your interpersonal skills and even your problem solving skills will improve. It’s not just a one way system though; the PALS program benefits both parties. When you’re leaving college and looking to be employed, by having the PALS program on your CV it will enhance your employability as it shows you have skills such as leadership, communication, and teamwork. Sponsoring companies are even supportive of the PAL’s initiative and acknowledge participating students.
What does being a mentor entail?
Being a mentor is a great opportunity and one which is supported by both the NMCI and Sponsoring companies. The idea is that the mentor/ mentee will meet in a social setting and have a chat. It’s all about being social. Chat, drink tea/coffee and engage with one another. NMCI will provide a drinks voucher for each mentors/mentees so the financial strain is taken away from the gathering.
Think of it as a time to chill and catch up with friends; that’s what the program enables; it enables friendship amongst peers. Remember, even though Facebook takes up our time, it’s important to interact with people face to face.
Stand up, be a mentor and get involved in the PALS program, we all remember what it was like to be the new kid on the block.
For further information regarding the PALS program contact: Maritime Liaison Officer Annette Coughlan |Annette.Coughlan@nmci.ie
‘My mentor met with me every week for a chat which really helped me settle in to CIT as I was really homesick at the beginning’ (CIT Student)
We are delighted to welcome “Confidence” to the facilities here at NMCI Services. A delightful new edition to add to our state of the art facilities, confidence is a new piece of equipment which will be an essential element of some of our training courses here at NMCI. Want a closer look? Then visit us here at NMCI to check out our state of the art facilities, or keep an eye out on our blog for further information about “Confidence”.
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