MET-CSS: Assessing the Cognitive Skills of Seafarers

“Cognition” is defined as the act of knowing and cognitive skills of the seafarers are the ones that deal with the mechanisms of how they learn, rather than with their actual knowledge. The focus of cognitive skills lies in perception, attention, memory and the logical reasoning of the seafarer, all of which naturally play a vital role in ensuring safe operations on board.

Various studies over the years have concluded that cognitive skills are a crucial factor in determining one’s ability to learn. In reality, when the seafarer’s cognitive skills are strong, his/her learning process is much faster and easier. When the seafarer’s cognitive skills are weak, his/her learning process becomes more challenging and difficult.

Fact is that technology is not part of our lives; instead, nowadays it is our life. This could not but occur in the maritime industry as well. Changes driven by big data and highly advanced IT systems in the deck and engine departments demand more complex information processing by the seafarers. Each cognitive skill plays an essential role in how a seafarer processes new information. That means that even if only one of these skills is weak, no matter what kind of information is coming the seafarer’s way, grasping, retaining or using that information is impacted. This, in turn, creates a growing demand for seafarers with high-level cognitive skills, and this is the challenge that SafeMetrix was designed to address.