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TRAINING, EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION Oscar Siches A mighty triad to acknowledge by Oscar Siches Sometimes the notion of world marina associations recommending marina training, education and certification comes across like a door to door medical insurance salesman. People know that what is offered is good and right, but think “we do not need it”. It is well known that the world marina industry, including more developed markets like Australia, the UK and USA, trail behind the pace and innovations of the nautical world in general. The first fact we must accept is that there is plenty of room for innovation and that keeping things as they are because “they have worked okay for the last 20 years” is only justifying the old Spanish adage “bread for today, hunger for tomorrow”. Education Let’s look at society. An educated person is automatically respected. A university graduate not only has social status but is assumed to have knowledge and a kind of superiority and, in most cases, this is true. Why is this not applied to marina operations? Marinas today are as they were many years ago; islands of knowledge and experience rarely shared. Over the last 20 years, we have seen the growth of companies owning two or more marinas, of larger size and sometimes in different countries. They realised that it was necessary to create a standard for operations, as it was going to be advantageous for their corporate image, for personnel management and logistics, and to help them capitalise on experiences learned. It is not just a marina director who needs to keep up with new trends, learn about other markets or seize on best profit ideas. Harbour captains, dock masters, maintenance operatives and office personnel also need and deserve to be instructed on how to improve performance and deliver what the investor and the client expect, or better. The other strong reason for education is that it helps you deal with external professionals, such as engineers or lawyers. Any of these arriving at a marina to justify a recently signed contract with the board can ruin a day, or many, of any experienced marina manager. And it is reciprocal. Marina workers see the marina world through different coloured lenses. The specific logic of a marina business does not stand on the same pillars of wisdom as everyday life. Timings are different. Excel sheets are used - and interpreted - in different ways. When your task is to spoil people rotten but keep them safe, you have to use psychological techniques to succeed Above: putting out a controlled fire imparts valuable lessons. Below: the local fire brigade is usually happy to become involved and give advice. www.marinaworld.com - March/April 2016 29
