European Maritime Safety Agency awards eXact learning solutions a new four year distance learning work plan
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has renewed its relationship with eXact learning solutions, the global vendor of online and mobile LCMS and digital repository solutions. EMSA has selected eXact learning solutions to deliver a new four year work plan to increase technological innovation in its distance learning program.
EMSA, headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, is one of the 28 Agencies of the European Union. It was founded in 2002 with the aim of reducing the risk of maritime accidents, marine pollution from ships and the loss of human lives at sea by helping to enforce the pertinent EU legislation.
The relationship between the two organisations began in 2007, when EMSA selected eXact learning solutions (formerly known as Giunti Labs) to be the contractor for implementing an ambitious project named DLP3 (Distance Learning Programme 3). DLP3 produced hundreds of learning objects, packaged into 13 e-learning modules, on Port State Control.
Developed with eXact learning solutions’ state-of-the-art LCMS platform and delivered with the Plateau Systems’ - now SuccessFactors’ - LMS to over 1,000 Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) all around Europe, the first project was so successful in terms of learning retention among the students, as well as cost savings in travel time, that it encouraged EMSA to launch another four year program, this time adding additional contents and innovation.
The first work program resulted in a large amount of learning content - addressing key maritime security items such as hull construction, radio, engine and safety equipment , as well as fire protection - produced and packaged in SCORM format using eXact Packager and eXact Content Models templates, the authoring component of the award-winning eXact LCMS platform.
The new four year work program, launched in Lisbon in February 2012, will see eXact learning solutions maintaining the existing modules by means of a fully-customised version of its eXact LCMS content lifecycle management solution, as well producing new modules.
In addition, eXact learning solutions will run pilots on delivering these learning materials via mobile learning. It will also work on an innovative taxonomy-based content classification process for workflow and competency development support, named Maritime Taxonomies & Competencies Horizons (MATCH).
The new learning content, along with the preliminary results of the MATCH outcomes, are expected in the second half of 2012.
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About European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)
EMSA is one of the European Union decentralised agencies that carry out technical tasks on behalf of the European Commission and the Member States. EMSA was founded in 2002 and established in Lisbon as a technical body to support in the field of maritime safety and prevention of pollution from ships.
The Agency provides technical and scientific advice in the continuous process of evaluating the effectiveness of the measures in place, and in the updating and development of new legislation. It also provides support to, and facilitates co-operation between, the Member States and disseminates best practices, providing technical assistance to the European Commission on matters regarding the application and possible amendments to EU legislation.
Among other tasks, the Agency works with the European Commission and the Member States on the implementation of Directive 2009/16/EC on port state control (participating in technical working groups of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding, hosting and supporting the development and operation of the supporting information system). EMSA and, in particular, its Unit B.2 – Ship Safety, has the long-term objective of broadening training for Port States Control Officers (PSCO) from the Paris MoU region in order to increase the professional competency and maintain a harmonised approach in the whole region. Improvement of training efficiency should reduce training costs (travel and time) and facilitate the face-to-face meetings, addressing training needs by defining key competency and skill gaps.