(SEATTLE – JULY 30, 2008) — Gregg Trunnell, Director of the Pacific Maritime Institute and the Workboat Academy, announced the graduation of its first class from the Workboat Mate Program. The MITAGS-PMI Workboat Mate Program takes two years to complete, with 25 weeks of shore-based instruction and 52 weeks of onboard training. Upon graduation the trainee receives a Mate 500-1600 Gross Tons license, with Towing Endorsement (if serving on tugs), STCW-95 Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch, and an Able-Bodied Seaman Limited endorsement.
“The quality of our trainees has been impressive, and because there are many more applicants than places on board, the companies get to pick and choose the best,” Trunnell said. “It’s the most cost-effective way for companies to find good people who are willing to invest a great deal of time and money to become a workboat mate. The program’s success is inevitable as more companies recognize the benefits and open up onboard training billets.”
“PMI’s Workboat Academy has balanced the hawsepipe and a formal academy education into a blended methodology which includes on-the-job experience and classroom learning to produce well-rounded job candidates,” said Dale Sause of Sause Bros. “Instead of taking five to six years to come up the hawsepipe, the Workboat Mate Program takes only two-years to provide an excellent candidate to be hired. Sause Bros’ believes in this well-structured program, which is the primary reason we sponsored four of the first six cadets to graduate.”
“With twice as much onboard training as classroom training, the role of captains and mates as mentors is incredibly important.” Trunnell said. “With almost 80 cadets in the program today, we see the age old tradition of experienced mariners sharing their wealth of knowledge and experience with new mariner eager to learn. We can attribute much of the Program’s success and the success of individuals cadets to the these selfless mentors.”
To learn more about the Workboat Mate Program, contact Gregg Trunnell at gtrunnell@mates.org. For Victor Tufts at MITAGS Workboat Academy, please contact him at vtufts@mitags.org. You may also visit the Workboat Academy Web site at www.workboatacademy.com.
