Drone footage of the upgraded Fire Grounds at the South Campus, Paraquita Bay, now featuring a fit-for-purpose firefighting simulator, new equipment storage facility, shaded briefing and muster areas. Photo: Michael Jack/HLSCC

Inside look at the new equipment storage facility. The facility includes all-new teaching aids and student equipment across all STCW modules along with new personal protective equipment, breathing apparatus, hoses, fittings, and extinguishers.Photo: Michael Jack/HLSCC

MPT Cohort 8 students piloting the STCW training ahead of its relaunch. Photo: Laura Arton/HLSCC

MPT Cohort 8 students piloting the STCW training ahead of its relaunch. Photo: Laura Arton/HLSCC

The return of STCW training restores a vital pipeline for Virgin Islands seafarers, once again allowing captains, crew members, engineers, and maritime professionals to earn internationally recognised safety certification locally, rather than having to travel overseas. This milestone strengthens national maritime capacity and reinforces HLSCC’s role as the Territory’s leading provider of professional maritime education.

“This is a proud moment for HLSCC and for the Virgin Islands,” said Dr. Richard Georges, President of HLSCC. “The return of STCW Basic Safety Training represents far more than the reopening of a course. It signals our continued investment in world-class facilities, our maritime workforce, and the future of a sector that is central to our economy and identity as a seafaring people.”

The STCW Basic Safety Training programme is mandatory for anyone seeking employment at sea and includes the four core modules required under the STCW Convention: Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting (FPFF), Personal Survival Techniques (PST), Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities (PSSR), and Elementary First Aid (EFA).

This training is delivered over five days for first-time candidates and three days for refreshers, which are required every five years. These certifications ensure that maritime professionals can respond effectively to emergencies and meet global safety standards.

According to Laura Arton, Maritime Training Manager, the programme now returns stronger than ever. “Our pause allowed us to rebuild and elevate every aspect of our training environment,”

Arton said. “Students will now train in a robust, realistic facility that mirrors genuine shipboard conditions. This ensures they graduate not only certified, but confident and capable in real emergency situations.”

HLSCC’s upgraded Fire Grounds at the South Campus, Paraquita Bay, now feature a fit-for-purpose firefighting simulator built from three retrofitted 40-foot shipping containers. The simulator includes an engine room, cabins, galley, escape hatch, workshop, and laundry, along with mobile fire baskets to support multiple emergency scenarios.

The grounds also include a new equipment storage facility, shaded briefing and muster areas, a Bauer breathing air compressor for efficient cylinder refilling, and all-new teaching aids and student equipment across all STCW modules. Firefighting upgrades alone include new personal protective equipment, breathing apparatus, hoses, fittings, and extinguishers.

In addition to BST, HLSCC has received MCA approval to offer Proficiency in Security Awareness (PSA), a half-day STCW course required for persons working onboard vessels operating under the International Ship & Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, such as international ferry services.

HLSCC thanks its maritime partners, students, and the wider community for their patience throughout the upgrade process and looks forward to once again serving as the Territory’s premier hub for maritime certification and career advancement.

A six-month training schedule accompanies this announcement. Interested persons may contact marine@hlscc.edu.vg to register or obtain further information.

With the return of STCW training, HLSCC reaffirms its commitment to safety, excellence, and building the next generation of Virgin Islands seafarers.