MTCS Runs OnSite Subsea Industrial Training and Experience Course

Despite current high demand for relevant offshore manpower, MTCS Ltd say that thoroughly assessed aptitude is essential among successful trainees and even experienced personnel in the subsea field.

While the oil and gas industry is vital to the UK economy and British companies are at the forefront of its global growth, recruitment difficulties are at their worst since 2007, according to a report by Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

If it is not to be held back, this expansion’s skills challenge – 98 per cent of contractors are looking to recruit next year – needs to be quickly met.

MTCS is attacking the challenge on three fronts, represented by three specific programmes.

“So how do you get new people into the industry,” asks Richard Warburton MD for MTCS Ltd?

“That is the problem our OnSite initiative aims to alleviate. The OnSite Subsea Industrial Training and Experience is designed to feed new people into real-world work on a short “try before you buy” basis. If their hosting company likes them, “that’s good news with a probable job offer; but if the would-be employer finds them unsuitable, it can send them back without any further obligation.”

MTCS trainees get the opportunity to sign up to OnSite after a two-week induction course at Windermere.

Global Sales Coordinator for MTCS Ltd, Gail Bartolf, is well aware of the challenges facing newly trained ROV pilots: “Many companies will not take on new trainees, as they don’t have sufficient flying hours, so this is why MTCS is now working with the Professional Diving Academy in Dunoon, one of the most modern diver training schools in the world. We will be offering unrivalled industry training, where the candidate can clock up ROV diving hours in the Sea Loch. “

Courses will be run on a 38m training vessel, M.V. Sleat, which has fantastic onboard facilities. The plans are to run 5-day courses on the Tether Management System and also the Launch & Recovery System.

How does MTCS Online fit in? “This is a virtual learning environment built to aid companies and individuals spending a lot of time offshore on vessels or rigs,” explains Gail Bartolf.

“While we do send trainers when possible to them, their being all over the world or on changing shift patterns means extra issues with the training. A major issue is cost to the employer, which can include flights, accommodation and perhaps day rates. So MTCS Online is a distance-learning programme designed for instant accessibility. It makes our products available anywhere, anytime, allowing individuals and companies to use one system to track and monitor learners’ progress throughout their offshore career.”

MTCS, which runs monthly ROV induction courses at Windermere as well as Singapore and Houston, is a fully accredited assessment and training centre providing a spectrum of operational, technical and supervisory training to the offshore industry. The majority of their courses focus on Remotely Operated Vehicles as used in the oil & gas, nuclear and renewables industry.

MTCS will be exhibiting at Oceanology International at stand D500.