by Maria Driscoll

Holland College is expanding its Marine Training and Commercial Diving program offerings with support from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).

There are two projects that are part of this expansion; the first is the purchase of new equipment for both the Marine Training and Georgetown Centres. The Marine Training Centre will purchase an Advanced Tug Bridge Simulator, a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Cargo Handling Simulator as well as other control and simulator systems. With the addition of new diving equipment at the Georgetown Centre, the College will be able to offer new programs in commercial scuba and diver medic training.

"We're very pleased to assist Holland College in the growth of its Marine Training and Commercial Diving Centres," said the Honourable Joe McGuire, Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. "With the investment put forward in these projects, the Holland College Marine Centre has established itself as the most advanced Tug Training Centre in the western hemisphere and it is also one of the world's first LNG Training Centres."

The minister also noted that the Georgetown Centre, Atlantic Canada's commercial diving training facility, is nationally accredited by the Diver Certification Board of Canada, one of only three training institutions in North America to have received this accreditation.

The second project provides the funding required for the Marine Training and Commercial Diving Centres to pursue new business opportunities in international markets.

"The investment made in our two Centres today, allows the College to promote its programs and facilities to a world wide market," stated Michael O'Grady, Director of Programs at Holland College. "The projected influx of out of province and international students will also benefit the economies of the local communities and the province. In addition, the training capabilities now available at these College Centres opens up a world of training opportunities for Prince Edward Islanders."

The new tug simulator will feature a Kongsberg Polaris Full Mission Bridge with 280 degrees of visuals. Three additional bridges will be significantly enhanced, allowing for advanced, dynamic ship-to-ship interaction and comprehensive training scenarios involving multiple tugboats and other vessels.

The last few years have seen great growth in the natural gas industry and its usage is expected to increase. In its gaseous state, natural gas is bulky; transformed into liquid, it takes up 1/600 of its gaseous volume. LNG is transported around the world in specialized LNG tankers and the handling of the LNG is complex. One of the greatest challenges facing the LNG industry is finding enough experienced and trained crews to meet the growing demand for skilled workers. The LNG training program now offered at the Marine Centre will provide the specialized training required for this workforce.

ACOA is contributing a total of $737,819 for the two projects - $498,239 for the equipment purchases and $239,580 for international marketing.