Mariel Zagunis is going to take a slice out of the Big Apple when she and fencers from around the world travel to New York City to compete in a World Cup event hosted by the historic Fencers Club from June 24 – 26, 2011.
We are proud to sponsor Mariel therefore to show our support we will be counting down to the event by quizzing you, her fans, about some of Mariel’s favorite things: fencing, food, and family. From June 20 – 24, 2011, we will award her signature Words to Sweat by mantra towel to a daily commenter who answers the question correctly.
There is also an exciting grand prize for the fan who answers the most questions correctly. The grand prize includes:
Michelle Stern’s The Whole Family Cookbook which “offers time-saving strategies for shopping and cooking, along with the resources you need to cook healthy, local food in any season.”
A stainless steel lunch set and water bottle which will allow you to take healthy food with you on the go without a lot of fuss while being kind to the environment.
To enter the contest, leave a comment below the post with your answer to that day’s question. No registration is required to leave a comment, however comments may not show up immediately as they await moderation.
The grand prize will be awarded to the fan who answers the most questions correctly. In the event that there is a tie, the grand prize winner will be selected using a random number generator.
We are delighted to report that the final piece of the Apprenticeship 'jigsaw' is now in place – with the Workboat Crewmember Standard and end-point assessment already published, the Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA) has now recommended a funding band of £20,000 per Apprentice.
This is significantly more than the original offer of £5,000 and is a much fairer reflection of the cost of this revised 18-24 month Level 3 Workboat Apprenticeship.
The Trailblazer group has written to the IfA to accept this funding band, and we expect it to be confirmed by the Education Minister in the near future. This means that those companies in England and Wales already paying the Apprenticeship Levy can claim £20,000 funding per apprentice, while smaller companies not paying the levy are entitled to 90% of this figure.
This is the most significant funding that has ever been available for training Workboat crewmembers, and these apprentices should provide the basis for the next generation of Workboat crew. By the end of the apprenticeship they will have gained the following practical qualifications:
54 North Maritime have already published an outline timetable for a first intake to start on 28th August at Whitby and we expect Red Ensign Training on the Isle of Wight to also offer a September intake. Anyone interested in taking advantage of this significant training incentive should contact the Training Providers direct.
Following the Scottish version of the Workboat Apprenticeship's approval, Stream Marine Training Ltd (SMT) are preparing to offer the Modern Workboat Apprenticeship for Scottish-based operators, starting in Q2 2018.
Operators are reminded that there is significant funding on offer from the Scottish Government towards the costs of training apprentices, and, in many areas, local funding is also available.
The college aspects of the apprenticeship will be based at the new SMT facility close to the Glasgow City Airport terminal. Any companies who may be interested in taking on new crew members, or up-skilling existing crew through this apprenticeship route are encouraged to contact the college for more details.
​Also through the MSA we have developed two short courses as Maritime Skills units,specifically aimed at Workboat Masters and watchkeepers, which will meet the requirements of the revised Workboat Code;-
1/ Operate non-ECDIS Marine Electronic Chart Systems - a 3 day course to familiarise operators to effectively use the Electronic Chart system installed on their vessel, and
2/ Use of Radar for Safe Navigation and Collision Avoidance on Domestic and Code Vessels - again a 3 Day course to ensure users are competent and confident in the effective use of their Radar on board.
These courses are already being offered by MARITAS and other training providers are expected to follow suit. MARITAS are also able to offer these two courses as a combined 5 day course.
We have three Training Record Books (TRBs) available for the different needs of workboat Crewmembers:
This is a valuable document for anyone working in the workboat industry to complete as it gives a thorough record of their experience and skills gained.
This TRB forms annex 4 of MGN 468 and must be completed by any candidate seeking to gain a Voluntary Towage Endorsement
Any candidate for the Master <500gt (Workboat) Certificate of Competency will have to complete this TRB
After several years of consultation between the interested stakeholders the MCA published this Voluntary Towage Endorsement Scheme (as MGN 468).