21
May
2019
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16:22 PM
Europe/Amsterdam

Five-day safety course for high-demand entry-level maritime-related jobs starts June 17

Article by: Melinda Eddleman

The maritime industry in Corpus Christi is expected to continue growing as more than a million barrels of oil leaves the Port of Corpus Christi daily and impending deepening and widening of the port approaches according to Dan Korus, dean of Del Mar College (DMC) Workforce Programs and Corporate Services. To meet the demand for entry-level employees among different maritime companies, the division is initiating a five-day course, Maritime Basic Safety Training, beginning Monday, June 17.

With impending work on the port, companies such as barge, tug boat, shipping and other maritime-related employers will experience a larger skills gap in their workforce given the current high demand for such workers. Del Mar College is working hard with other partners to stay in front of this bow wave of opportunity by offering our entry-level safety course.
Dan Korus, Dean of Workforce Programs and Corporate Services

The Maritime Basic Safety Training course is U.S. Coast Guard approved and is required by all mariners. The deadline to register for the course is Friday, June 7, and the cost is $1,200 with scholarship opportunities potentially becoming available.

Questions or ready to register? Contact Jalyn Stineman, DMC Corporate Services Maritime Program coordinator, at 361-698-2181 or jstineman@delmar.edu.

Maritime Basic Safety Training is comprised of four disciplines, and students must demonstrate proficiency in each, including:

Basic Fire Fighting (16 hours): students will gain the knowledge and skills to correctly handle a shipboard fire, take appropriate measures for the safety of ship personnel and use fire appliances correctly.

• Personal Survival Techniques (12 hours): swimming is required for this class with trainees learning how to respond to emergency situations, take measures appropriate for their own survival and of others and use survival equipment correctly.

• Personal Safety and Social Responsibility (4 hours): due to the vastly different environment on a ship as compared to ashore, this course prepares new mariners for a life at sea.

• First Aid /CPR (8 hours): students will learn the principles and techniques of safety and basic first aid, automatic external defibrillator (AED) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) according to the accepted standards of the American Red Cross. A certificate from the American Red Cross will be awarded upon completion.With high demand in Corpus Christi and all along the Texas Gulf Coast for maritime employees, individuals completing the course can expect entry-level employment by a barge or tow company, a line-handling operation or a longshoreman/stevedore company. The expected pay range is $165 to $175 per day.

Korus noted that his division, in conjunction with San Jacinto College’s Maritime Technology and Training Center and the Southeast Maritime and Transportation Center, is working to establish a full training program that addresses multiple skills levels that local maritime employers seek. Currently, DMC Workforce Programs and Corporate Services also receives support from Coastal Bend companies and organizations, including the Port of Corpus Christi, the Aransas-Corpus Christi Pilots, Signet Maritime Corporation, G&H Towing, Kirby Inland Marine, Port Industries of Corpus Christi and Valero, to expand the initiative.

While participants wanting further training beyond our basic safety training course may need to take other courses elsewhere, we’re very appreciative of the support we’re receiving from partners in education and the maritime industry to give our local workforce much needed training opportunities here in the Coastal Bend. We’ll continue moving forward toward expanding our current initiative.
Dan Korus, Dean of Workforce Programs and Corporate Services
About Del Mar College

Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.