MARITIME RETRAINING FUND EXTENDED

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may 2022 :: RMTnews 19 The Maritime Charities Group (MCG) Redundancy and Retraining Bursary Fund will remain open following discussions by funders, the Merchant Navy Welfare Board (MNWB), Trinity House and the Nautilus Slater Fund. The fund, which provides up to £500 for training and refresher courses to UK-based seafarers who have lost work due to Covid-19, was due to close last month but funders have agreed to extend the deadline to meet growing demand. MCG chairman Commander Graham Hockley said: “We have decided to keep the fund open to support those who have recently lost their jobs and want to stay in the industry but need further training or requalification to do so. The closing date for applications is currently open- ended but will be determined by demand and available funding”. The fund, which is administered by the Marine Society on behalf of MCG, is aimed at merchant seafarers who have lost their job due to the pandemic and want to stay in the industry. Applicants can claim up to £500 towards training or qualifications of their choice. Since it opened in November 2020 the fund has helped over 80 UK-based seafarers by providing over £36,000 in funding for training to help them stay in maritime. So far over 30 per cent of beneficiaries have already got back into employment. Mr Hockley added that the fund had been a real success story for MCG at a time when Covid hit many of our seafarers very hard. “By working together to fund training for those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, our members have made a real difference to their chances of getting another job in maritime,” he said. Case study John Jess did his SCTW refresher courses so he could stay in the industry 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 by October 2020. Having been at sea for over 20 years I thought about getting a job ashore but decided I should renew my STCW courses and continue working at sea in some capacity, either in oil and gas or back within shipping. I saw the adverts for the bursary fund in the Nautilus Telegraph and, as my certificates were due for renewal in March, thought I would apply. I was unemployed at the time and had an offer to start work again soon but needed to get my STCW courses refreshed urgently. So I paid for the courses myself and applied for the grant at the same time. The process was quick and easy and very flexible. I received £500 towards my STCW refresher courses - 4 of them in total - and this paid the majority of the fees. Once I’d passed the courses I was able to accept a contract. 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. RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may 2022 :: RMTnews MARITIME RETRAINING FUND EXTENDED HOW TO APPLY Applications to the MCG Redundancy and Retraining Bursary Fund are managed by the Marine Society on behalf of MCG. To find out more about the scheme and how to apply go to www.marine-society.org/redundancy-fund