Government of Canada Contributes to advanced equipment for the Holland College Marine Training Centre

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

(L-R) Hon. Ron MacKinley, PEI Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development; Holland College Vice President Michael O'Grady; Clayton Burry, Kongsberg Maritime Simulation; and Hon. Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue.

The following release has been issued by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

SUMMERSIDE (PE) - MAY 22, 2012 - The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue, and Michael O'Grady, Holland College Vice-President of Innovation, Enterprise and Strategic Development, today announced an investment in new state-of-the-art equipment for Holland College. The new dynamic positioning training equipment and software will allow the institution to keep up with industry demand.

"Holland College has earned an international reputation for quality instruction and this newly acquired equipment will enable the college to offer additional training," said Minister Shea, on behalf of the Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and La Francophonie. "Our Government is pleased to support forward-thinking institutions like Holland College; these investments create job growth and increased economic development in our region."

The Government of Canada, through ACOA, has invested almost $250,000 for this new equipment.

Dynamic positioning systems automatically maintain a ship's position and heading by using its own propellers and thrusters. As manufacturers redesign and refine their equipment, the training demands of the marine industry evolve, so training equipment and software must keep up with industry standards.

Holland College vice president Michael O'Grady said the new equipment will enable the Marine Training Centre to expand its offerings to the marine industry, "This new configuration will allow us to train more people at a time on-state-of-the-art equipment similar to that which is currently being used in oil field construction, platform supply, pipeline and cable laying, as well as other DP applications," he said. "ACOA's investment insures that the Marine Training Centre can continue to provide its clients with accessibility to the equipment and software that is currently being utilized by industry leaders."

The new trainers allow students to practice realistic dynamic positioning operations on their desktop panels and through the graphical user interface on the monitors, while the built-in simulator offers realistic response to the operations initiated by each student. By utilizing both models of basic trainer, students' skills will be more flexible.

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For media inquiries about this release, please contact:
Sara Underwood
Media and Communications Officer
Tel: (902) 566-9695

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