Maritime instructors teach all those occupationally piloting a boat or a ship, such as skippers and ship captains, how to operate their inland water boats or maritime ships according to regulations. They teach their students theory and techniques on how to optimally pilot, steer and navigate, and maintain their specific boat or ship, observe and evaluate the students’ practice. They also focus on non-steering related subjects such as customer service (in case of person transportation) and safety measure regulations.
Includes people performing recreational boating instruction and sailing instruction not for proffesional means.
The following job titles also refer to maritime instructor:
boating instructor
ship pilot trainer
specialist maritime training instructor
maritime trainer
maritime training instructor
occupational boating instructor
instructor in maritime training
ship pilot instructor
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of maritime instructor. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of maritime instructor with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of maritime instructor.
Geographic areas: Know the geographic area in detail; know where different organisations carry out operations. International regulations for preventing collisions at sea: Fundamental aspects of the international regulations to prevent collisions at sea, such as the conduct of vessels in sight of one another, navigation lights and markers, major light and accoustic signals, maritime signalling and buoys. Assessment processes: Various evaluation techniques, theories, and tools applicable in the assessment of students, participants in a programme, and employees. Different assessment strategies such as initial, formative, summative and self- assessment are used for varying purposes. Health and safety measures in transportation: The body of rules, procedures and regulations related to health and safety measures intended to prevent accidents or incidents in transportation. Maritime transportation technology: Understand maritime transportation technology and stay up-to-date with the latest findings in the field. Apply this knowledge in operations and decision-making while on-board. Vessel safety equipment: Gain theoretical and practical knowledge of safety equipment used in vessels, including devices such as lifeboats, life rings, splash doors and fire doors, sprinkler systems, etc. Operate equipment during emergency situations. Global maritime distress and safety system: The internationally agreed-upon set of safety procedures, types of equipment and communication protocols used to increase safety and make it easier to rescue distressed ships, boats and aircraft. Curriculum objectives: The goals identified in curricula and defined learning outcomes.
These skills are necessary for the role of maritime instructor.
Guarantee students’ safety: Ensure all students falling under an instructor or other person’s supervision are safe and accounted for. Follow safety precautions in the learning situation. Prepare lesson content: Prepare content to be taught in class in accordance with curriculum objectives by drafting exercises, researching up-to-date examples etc. Monitor developments in field of expertise: Keep up with new research, regulations, and other significant changes, labour market related or otherwise, occurring within the field of specialisation. Teach boating principles: Instruct students in the theory and practice of piloting a boat, more specifically in courses such as water navigation, boating knots, overboard recoveries, and docking. Observe student’s progress: Follow up on students’ learning progress and assess their achievements and needs. Adapt teaching to student’s capabilities: Identify the learning struggles and successes of students. Select teaching and learning strategies that support students’ individual learning needs and goals. Apply teaching strategies: Employ various approaches, learning styles, and channels to instruct students, such as communicating content in terms they can understand, organising talking points for clarity, and repeating arguments when necessary. Use a wide range of teaching devices and methodologies appropriate to the class content, the learners’ level, goals, and priorities. Operate marine communication systems: Operate on board marine communication systems; communicate with other ships or with on-shore control centre e.g. to send urgent messages concerning safety; transmit or receive alerts, etc. Assess students: Evaluate the students’ (academic) progress, achievements, course knowledge and skills through assignments, tests, and examinations. Diagnose their needs and track their progress, strengths, and weaknesses. Formulate a summative statement of the goals the student achieved. Recognise abnormalities on board: Identify anomalies and abnormalities on board, evaluate them, and take appropriate actions to restore normal operation of ship. Check all (safety) systems for operational functions. Organise actions to be taken in the event of an identified problem. Give constructive feedback: Provide founded feedback through both criticism and praise in a respectful, clear, and consistent manner. Highlight achievements as well as mistakes and set up methods of formative assessment to evaluate work. Distinguish various types of ships: Recognise and name various types of vessels common in European maritime transport; understand the different characteristics, construction details, and tonnage capacities of different vessels. Assist students in their learning: Support and coach students in their work, give learners practical support and encouragement. Apply intercultural teaching strategies: Ensure that the content, methods, materials and the general learning experience is inclusive for all students and takes into account the expectations and experiences of learners from diverse cultural backgrounds. Explore individual and social stereotypes and develop cross-cultural teaching strategies.
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of maritime instructor. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Customer service: Processes and principles related to the customer, client, service user and to personal services; these may include procedures to evaluate customer’s or service user’s satisfaction. Learning difficulties: The learning disorders some students face in an academic context, especially Specific Learning Difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and concentration deficit disorders. Teamwork principles: The cooperation between people characterised by a unified commitment to achieving a given goal, participating equally, maintaining open communication, facilitating effective usage of ideas etc. International convention for the prevention of pollution from ships: The fundamental principals and requirements laid in the International Regulation for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL): Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil, Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk, prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances Carried by Sea in Packaged Form, Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships, Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships, Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships.
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of maritime instructor. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Guide ships into docks: Safely guide a ship into a dock and anchor it. Use meteorological information: Use and interpret meteorological information for operations dependent on climatic conditions. Use this information to provide advise on safe operations in relation to weather conditions. Use water navigation devices: Utilise water navigation devices, e.g. compass or sextant, or navigational aids such as lighthouses or buoys, radar, satellite, and computer systems, in order to navigate vessels on waterways. Work with recent charts/maps, notices, and publications in order to determine the precise position of a vessel. Facilitate teamwork between students: Encourage students to cooperate with others in their learning by working in teams, for example through group activities. Supervise movement of crew: Oversee embarkation and disembarkation of crew members; ensure that safety regulations are followed according to specifications. Supervise movement of passengers: Oversee embarking and disembarking of travellers; ensure that safety regulations are followed according to specifications. Ensure vessel security: Ensure that security requirements for vessels are met according to legal norms. Check if the security equipment is in place and operational. Communicate with marine engineers to ensure that the technical parts of the vessel functioning effectively and can perform as necessary for the upcoming journey. Prepare lifeboats: Prepare lifeboats in ships before departure, ensure full functionality in case of emergency, follow regulatory instructions for lifesaving boats. Prepare deck equipment: Handle a wide assortment of deck equipment, including waterproof marine doors, hatches, winches, pumps, cleats, fairleads, portlights, shackles, swivels, tank top covers, anchors, and bollards. Prepare and organise equipment in the required locations and quantity on board a vessel. Manage resources for educational purposes: Identify the necessary resources needed for learning purposes, such as materials in class or arranged transportation for a field trip. Apply for the corresponding budget and follow up on the orders. Conduct on board safety inspections: Conduct on board safety inspections; identify and remove potential threats to the physical integrity of the ship crew. Adapt instruction to labour market: Identify developments in the labour market and recognise their relevance to the training of students. Work with virtual learning environments: Incorporate the use of online learning environments and platforms into the process of instruction. Perform classroom management: Maintain discipline and engage students during instruction. Provide lesson materials: Ensure that the necessary materials for teaching a class, such as visual aids, are prepared, up-to-date, and present in the instruction space. Assist in maritime rescue operations: Provide assistance during maritime rescue operations. Plot shipping navigation routes: Plot the navigation route of a vessel under the review of a superior deck officer. Operate a ship radar or electronic charts and automatic identification system. Operate mechanical equipment of ships: Operate mechanical equipment on vessels; communicate with engineers if failures occur or should repairs be required during a voyage.
