Epsilon Hellas secures crewing continuity with Mintra’s ECDIS course
“For Epsilon Hellas, digital learning is very much here to stay to complement our comprehensive in-person training catalogue. We are looking forward to exploring our relationship with Mintra and the options available to us to take our maritime training to the next level.”
Dr. Joanna-Eugenia Bakouni Human Resources & Training Manager, Epsilon Hellas.
Epsilon Hellas has been a loyal Mintra customer for over seven years. The elite crew and training provider first onboarded the manufacturer-approved type-specific Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) digital learning course in 2015 to accelerate the certification of seafarers and deliver agile, high-quality training.
Epsilon Hellas supports some of the world’s largest shipping companies, as well as being a long-serving member of many key maritime organisations. It manages crewing affairs for more than 500 vessels, deploys approximately 6,100 seafarers at any point in time, and trains more than 1,200 seafarers each month, while also offering crew pre-joining medical services. Maintaining an exceptional talent pool of human resources at sea is one of the company’s priorities.
It is important for Epsilon Hellas that any solution which they introduce is flexible, well safeguarded, supporting a large volume of learners and of the highest quality. Digital learning must be easy to navigate by both their seafarers and the administrative team.
It is crucial for the crew and training provider to ensure that all competencies and training of seafarers is up to date prior to boarding a vessel. For manning requests which are received at a short notice, planned courses must be expedited or alternatives to classroom-based learning considered.
“It can be incredibly difficult to secure instructors for last minute in-person training. Especially if the crew is due to depart within a day or two or we are in the middle of a holiday period. This is where digital learning has become to play a crucial role in our business model,” Dr Joanna-Eugenia Bakouni, Human Resources & Training Manager, Epsilon Hellas.
Epsilon Hellas has a longstanding relationship with Mintra, Safebridge prior to 2021, and for the past seven years has provided leading digital type-specific ECDIS training to its global crew. What makes a difference to the maritime provider is the
high quality of the learning offering as well as the safeguards which are in place to prevent any foul play.
“The quality of training is of utmost importance to us and Mintra’s ECDIS courses are ahead of other providers on the market. We have worked in collaboration with Mintra over the years to ensure the solution meets the unique requirements of our global team. The type-specific ECDIS training is easy to administer and undemanding for our crew to navigate.”
“Another key element which has cemented our relationship with Mintra is the safeguarding and monitoring of the ECDIS course. It is important for us to have confidence in the integrity of the certification which is obtained by our crew.”
As anyone working in the industry knows, there are no certainties in maritime. Emergencies, last-minute crew changes and at worst case force majeure all have an impact on the daily manning of any vessel.
“No two days are the same in shipping. At any time, we could be facing a medical or welfare emergency onboard and tasked with sourcing a crewmember with the correct training and competence to take over.
"When it comes to something as significant as an ECDIS qualification, we need to ensure that we can provide training around the clock to respond to any potential crisis promptly, whilst not compromising on the quality of the training.”
Mintra’s type-specific ECDIS training plays an integral role in enabling seafarers to be onboarded swiftly. The around-the-clock availability of digital learning and automated certification allows competence to be obtained even outside working hours or during holidays, supporting continuity in crewing. This also reduces the administrative burden, removes the requirement to contact third parties directly, and prevents duplications or errors from occurring.
“For Epsilon Hellas, digital learning is very much here to stay to complement our comprehensive in-person training catalogue. We are looking forward to exploring our
relationship with Mintra and the options available to us to take our maritime training to the next level.”
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