New customer training capacity

The training centre, which is due to open during Spring 2012, is being developed in response to the rapidly increasing number of vessels with Rolls-Royce equipment installed.

A wide range of courses will be available, covering all the maritime disciplines, including training related to hand-over of new vessels, technical familiarisation of the full range of Rolls-Royce products, dynamic positioning, automation, remote control systems and anchor-handling operations.

“Up until today we have had training in nine product centres located in Ulsteinvik, Ålesund, Brattvåg, Bergen, Kristinehamn, Rauma, Kokkola and Dunfermline. Travelling from site to site is history when the new training centre is finished”, says VP Customer Training Knut Johan Rønningen, “but more specialised product training could still be delivered on site."

The centre will also provide basic product training for Rolls-Royce service engineers who work with customers around the world. “The ground floor will contain a workshop where service engineers and customers can take part in hands-on training like mounting and demounting engines, thrusters, deck machinery etc.”, says Rønningen.

In addition to the workshop, there will be full size simulators for DP and aft bridge, winch and waterjet, and special rooms for automation and control, power electric systems and remote control systems for propulsion.

On the second and third floor there will be conference rooms, classrooms and offices. “General course material, manuals, syllabus, etc. are being developed beforehand, while some of the training programmes must be customised as a response to the customer’s needs,” Rønningen explains. “Offering the right training to our growing customer base enhances the levels of service we can provide. “The increased industry focus on health, safety and the environment, and in particular deck safety, is a key driver for research and development across the industry and this centre will focus on courses specific to these areas.

It is expected that around 5,000 people will use the new Rolls-Royce training centre each year. Located in Ålesund, it will benefit from being adjacent to the Ålesund University College, Offshore Simulator Centre and the Norwegian Centre of Expertise Maritime.

The new training centre will be part of the Norwegian Competence Centre Marine and will share large common areas with other maritime companies, conference attendants and students. This is expected to create synergy effects for all involved parties as it will be a meeting point of leading expertise and a display window for the maritime industry.