MTCS to Deliver Subsea Courses at C-STATE

Maritime Training and Competence Solutions Ltd (MTCS) has signed an agreement to market courses and deliver training at a new facility for the subsea sector – the Centre for Subsea Technology Awareness, Training and Education or C-STATE as it is known.

This facility is the first of its kind and is a unique collaboration between industry and education. C-STATE has been created to address the growing skills gap in the subsea engineering and service sectors, by providing an unrivalled platform for specialist training and education – and is offered to the entire industry.

Subsea UK, the industry body, which represents the £8.9 billion subsea sector, revealed that British subsea companies need around 16,000 new recruits to help them grow to £11 billion and increase the country’s 45% share of a £20 billion global market.

Launched at Darlington College, C-STATE has been developed by Modus Seabed Intervention Ltd in partnership with MTCS, Darlington College, Teesside University, Tees Valley Unlimited and Darlington Borough Council. C-STATE has been created to ensure a supply of excellent personnel, and will offer through its training and education partners; MTCS, Darlington College and Teesside University, the only holistic approach to subsea education. The purpose built facility will offer a range of subsea courses from apprenticeships to further and higher education, and industry-recognised and accredited training.

Trainees will have direct, hands on access to a dedicated 200hp hydraulic remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in a safe and controlled environment, combined with classroom based training for all courses. Industry recognised and accredited training is being delivered by leading specialist, MTCS Ltd, with the first courses already underway.

MTCS, which runs monthly ROV induction courses at Windermere as well as in Singapore and Houston, has the responsibility for marketing and running C-STATE short courses, which include: work class ROV technical, high-voltage skills, high-pressure hydraulics, umbilical reterm, and subsea client awareness. Bespoke courses can also be developed.

Jake Tompkins of C-STATE explained: “C-STATE has been launched as a facility to offer unique access to subsea remotely operated technology. The intent is to provide a platform for specialist training and learning delivered by our industry and education partners, all recognised leaders in their respective fields. We hope to be able to create significant opportunities for individuals and companies alike and ultimately bridge the skills gap in an important industrial sector. In terms of location, the Tees Valley is a significant and growing centre for the offshore supply chain. Darlington’s local airports serve Aberdeen, London and the continent as well as many other international locations on a daily basis; it’s on the national mainline rail network and has first rate local facilities. Discussions on extending the C-STATE facility are already underway.”

Richard Warburton, Managing Director of MTCS, said: “Not a day goes by when we don’t hear about the acute shortage of skills in oil and gas. The subsea sector is already showing signs of being constrained by this. If we carry on trying to solve the skills issues using the current solutions, the industry will not achieve growth. That’s why our collaborative approach is different.

“With many companies it is not simply about finding people, but more about how they recruit, how they keep people and how they equip them with the skills they need to do the job,” explained Mr Warburton.

Mr Warburton added: “We have fully investigated what the industry needs in terms of skills and explored the existing programmes which work well for individual companies. We have shared best practice from industry and designed pan-industry programmes which deliver solutions in the short to medium-term.

“C-STATE aims to make a material and sustainable difference by helping companies source and develop the people they need to prosper. Here at MTCS Ltd, we help people from the military such as airframe technicians and weapons engineers, who make good technicians and subsequently ROV pilots. And there are those with trades like electrical engineers and car mechanics who also have a good aptitude for our courses.”

In addition to attracting military people and those with engineering skills, the College and University will take a medium-term approach to train apprentices and graduates for the industry. C-STATE will also develop programs to educate school children about the careers in subsea.

Based on the Darlington College campus, C-STATE benefits from access to excellent on-site facilities including cafeterias, restaurants and a host of other services.

Tim Grant, Principal and Chief Executive of Darlington College commented, “We are delighted to be a partner in C-STATE and to host the facility at the Darlington College Construction and Engineering Centre. Together we are developing a subsea curriculum for full and part time students and apprentices that will run alongside the MTCS program of courses. We are planning to launch an educational program in Autumn 2014.”

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Press Release, January 23, 2014