The role of the Marine Training Manager
Whether any Officer Trainee is successful in their training is due to their own ability and commitment; however the role of the training team that manage their cadetship should not be underestimated in this success. The relationship between Training Manager and Officer Trainee starts at the selection process and continues right through to the end goal: the completion of the training programme.
Due to the unique experience of training for a career at sea, and in order to make the end goal possible, the training team as a whole need to be equipped with a range of skills, experience and knowledge that can be utilised in different scenarios.
There is no doubt that having staff within the training team that have experience of working at sea is a benefit. Going to sea for the first time, particularly at a young age can be a daunting experience and will present the trainees with different environments and challenges. For an Officer Trainee, speaking to someone who has had this experience first-hand can often alleviate fears and promote a sense of common purpose and understanding which in-turn may restore their confidence in the training. Staff members that have worked at sea or have been shore-based within the industry bring a wealth of specialist maritime knowledge which can be used to make the training process run efficiently.
In addition to this, it is essential to employ staff that have a professional knowledge of HR practice. Good practice measures should be adopted at all times and the Training Manager is responsible for keeping aware of changes in employment law and developments to employment practices.
Due to the nature of the training programme, the Training Manager’s position is similar to an HR generalist role, dealing with everything from recruitment and selection, induction, learning and development, employee relations, manpower planning and performance management. Without a good understanding of these practices there is no way to ensure that fair and standard procedures are followed.
The skills required of the Training Manager are diverse and encompass a range of soft and hard skills. One of the key soft areas is the ability to employ excellent interpersonal skills. At the outset, the Training Manager needs to effectively communicate to the Officer Trainee their role as manager in terms of keeping the training on course and their role as an advisor and supporter. To make the relationship successful, listening is an essential skill. Recognising when a cadet is just having a bad day or identifying a more serious issue such as homesickness, illness or personal problems requires an effective listener. The Training Manager often adapts to the role similar to a parent, as essentially these individuals are still growing into young adults and encounter a range of problems whilst at college and at sea.
Alternatively, the Training Manager may need to adopt a harder approach when dealing with performance management anddisciplinaryprocedures. TheTraining Manager must be able to identify the most productive approach and behaviour to get the results that they want and get their message across in a way that gets heard, understood, accepted and acted upon. It takes a skilled influencer to ensure that the Officer Trainee understands your message and accepts your proposals.
These are but a few of the skills required of the Training Manager, not forgetting other key skills such as problem solving, being decisive, managing and leading change and diplomacy. Ultimately however, the Training Manager is only as effective as the team supporting him/her; therefore, when employing staff there is a need to ensure that they have the range of experience and diverse skills required.