TRAINING FOR RATINGS AVAILABLE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march 2021 :: RMTnews 8 The Maritime Charities Group (MCG) is reminding ratings who’ve lost work due to Covid-19 that funding is available towards training courses that could help them get a new job in the industry. Applications to the MCG Retraining and Redundancy Bursary, launched in November last year, have been coming in at a steady rate but the response from ratings has been lower than anticipated. Figures out this week show that over three quarters of successful applications came from officers. The fund now stands at £40,000 thanks to generous contributions from MCG members Merchant Navy Welfare Board and Trinity House, and a successful application to the Nautilus Slater Fund. Applicants can claim up to £500 towards training or qualifications of their choice. The fund is managed by the Marine Society on behalf of MCG. Successful applicants John Jess and Peter Strachan couldn’t praise the scheme highly enough. John has been at sea for over 20 years but was made redundant last October. He put the money towards four STCW refresher courses which enabled him to take on a new contract, as he explained: “I’ve been a marine engineer since I left school, working mainly in the deep sea merchant fleet and more recently in oil and gas, specifically offshore drilling. With the onset of Covid-19 the company I worked for made everyone on my rig redundant. I thought about getting a job ashore but decided I should renew my STCW courses and continue working at sea. “I was unemployed at the time but needed to get my STCW courses refreshed urgently. The process was quick and easy. Everything was clearly explained on the Marine Society website and in the application form. I filled in the forms and sent them off. “I’d say to anyone in a similar position, take this opportunity and apply for a grant either for a refresher course or towards training for something new in the sector. It’s a really good way to enhance your skills and improve your job prospects in these hard times,” he said. Peter Strachan was also out of work and used his grant to help him move into offshore wind. “Almost all the work at the moment is through agencies and you need to have all your certificates up to date and ready to go. At over £1,000 a time this is a considerable expense with no guarantee of a job. So when I heard about the grant I applied straight away for help with the windfarm industry courses. “Applying for the fund was easy even for a technophobe like me. I used the grant towards the GWO basic course which cost almost £1,300,” he said. To find out more about the MCG redundancy and retraining bursary fund and how to apply go to https://www.marine- society.org/redundancy-fund RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march 2021 :: RMTnews The Maritime Charities Group TRAINING FOR RATINGS AVAILABLE Peter Strachan