The Engineering College have welcomed 16 students from the Grand Bahamas to study at their industry ready learning facility for 12 weeks of hands-on training.
This intensive knowledge exchange is part of a wider partnership between the Grand Bahamas Shipyard and the Engineering College to boost Maritime skills in the Caribbean, with the Merseyside based College consulting the shipyard in their mission to develop a training program which will support the business through an ambitious growth strategy and commitment to developing the skills of its workforce.
Grand Bahamas Shipyard Limited was established in 1999 as part of larger plans to develop a maritime centre in the region. Located inside the port of Freeport, 93 nautical miles east of Miami, Florida; their facility has the capability to dock any vessel up to 300 meters long and welcomes over 100 cruise ships, tankers and other commercial vessels every year.
Students are being exposed to a host of life changing experiences with their visit to the college, which sits on the banks of the River Mersey. They are learning the skills they’ll need in their career from subject matter experts with over 40 years experience and many are experiencing international travel for the first time, embedding themselves in a city steeped in maritime heritage.
This Partnership speaks volumes about the world-leading maritime expertise present on Merseyside, with the North West boasting some of the biggest names in maritime and construction, many of which the College work with to train their Engineers to meet the demands of modern engineering. It was through one of these relationships that the Grand Bahamas selected The College as the ideal partner to guide them through the development of their training and apprenticeship program.
GBSL Training Manager Elvardo Kemp has been ecstatic about the learners’ development already within their first few weeks.
“They have settled in very well with the College and in the city. So much so that I will be travelling back to the Bahamas early and leaving the students in the capable hands of the College. The Engineering College feel like family to us with how welcoming and supportive they have been. I have no doubt the students will come back much more skilled at their crafts and ready for the demands of the shipyard.”
Elvardo also spoke of the lifechanging effects of this experience for the students:
“When we first told the students about the potential visit to the College, they and their parents didn’t believe us. This opportunity has led to widespread coverage back in the Bahamas and their families are so proud of what they are achieving.”
CEO Terry Weston says that The Engineering College is keen to expand its International Training division.
Terry said: “The Engineering College provides apprentices and adult training to UK’s engineering and construction industries and we have an extremely strong track record of providing training solutions to the maritime sector.
The Engineering College is now keen to capitalise on this track record and expand our services across the global maritime community. The College’s recent trip to Grand Bahamas Shipyard and now their students visit to our facility are significant because this marks a key milestone in this ambition. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Grand Bahamas Shipyard over the coming months.”