The first cohort of marine engineers have completed the Officer Development (Second-Class Marine Engineer) program developed by the Marine Institute for the BC Ferries Officer Development program.

To celebrate the first graduates of the program, BC Ferries hosted a ceremony on December 12. MI representatives attended the ceremony to award students with their Certificate in Officer Development.

“It was very rewarding to see the first group of students complete the program and receive their certificates,” said Captain Fabian Lambert, assistant head, School of Maritime Studies.

“It is a major accomplishment for the students, BC Ferries and the Marine Institute.”

The multi-year program is a two-year path to completion. Upon completing the program, students are equipped with the academic requirements to obtain a 2nd class certification with Transport Canada.

With the program offered via distance blended-learning, students could stay at home, work and study remotely to prepare for their exams.

“The program through the Marine Institute allowed me the flexibility to complete my studies remotely from the other side of the country,” said Jason Wills, one of the recent graduates of the program.

“The instructors were very helpful and knowledgeable, and the online experience was fantastic. It is evident a lot of effort went into creating the course material and content.”

The Officer Development program was developed by MI’s School of Maritime Studies to support employee advancements in marine engineering. Initially announced in May, the Transport Canada block certification for the training program was a national first.

With the program's success, BC Ferries and MI have extended their partnership to offer the Officer Development program for the next five years. During this time, many more marine engineers employed with BC Ferries will enroll in the program and receive the academic and examination requirements to upgrade their engineering class certification levels.

“I decided to enroll in the training program because I felt stuck in my previous position and didn’t know how to get started with upgrading my credentials,” said Zac Edmondson, another graduate of the program.

“When I was offered the opportunity to have some instruction, I knew it would give me the direction I needed to take the first steps toward moving forward and improving my skills.”

In addition to extended offerings of the second-class program, MI is working to develop a training program dedicated to helping marine engineers obtain their 4th class certification with Transport Canada.

This fundamental training program will provide newer crew members the opportunity to advance their careers and achieve higher class certifications.

“We’re pleased with the success of the marine engineering training program so far and are looking forward to seeing continued progress over the next five years,” said Capt. Lambert.

“This is a career that offers employees many opportunities to advance, and MI is proud to provide the necessary training for certification upgrading.”

Through customized training solutions that meet national and international accreditation standards, the Marine Institute hopes to work with other maritime transportation companies to encourage career advancement for crew members.