A meeting took place in St.Petersburg between Sovcomflot (SCF) Group representatives and the management of the Maritime Technical College, where crews are being trained for shipping companies. The meeting was part of the “Sovcomflot-2010” programme which is aimed at improving the social security arrangements of seamen and their training, and also developing national maritime education. During the meeting the parties discussed the issues surrounding the training of crew and junior officers at the Maritime College.
The Maritime Technical College of St. Petersburg has been engaged in the professional training of seamen for many years. The College has a unique knowledge and expertise in training seafarers. Annually more than 500 seamen graduate in major maritime professions from the College.
Sovcomflot (SCF) Group is Russia’s largest shipping company. Its fleet is amongst the five leading tanker companies in the world and comprises 132 vessels of 9.4 million tonnes (dwt) in total, and the shipbuilding portfolio includes 32 ships of 2.8 million tonnes (dwt). The average age of vessel in the tanker fleet is less than six years (the world average age is 12 years). SCF Group holds the top position in the product carrier, Aframax tanker and ice-class shuttle-tanker market segments, and is the leading ice-class tanker operator for the transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG). These market segments are the most in demand for Russia’s foreign trade.