Great fun and great business

16 April 2013

Atlas had a fantastic week at Ocean Business – the biennial ocean technology exhibition in Southampton, UK. Whilst training on survey principles was given, visitors were invited to complete a 'competency quiz' to assess their understanding of the requirements within the industry. With all this, our well-attended stand was the scene of many interesting conversations.

Demonstrating competence
Atlas has seen an increasingly large demand for professionals with well documented competency profiles. During the show, we offered training and workshops on survey principles along with presentations on the importance of competence. For visitors who completed the Atlas Professionals ‘competency quiz’, there was the opportunity of winning a free EIVA training course. Andrew Blears, manager Atlas Professionals Newquay, said: “We care about quality. The presentations and the competency quiz at our stand were an obvious choice in order to highlight the importance of competency recording within our industry”. Neil Evans, technical advisor at International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), underlined the importance of demonstrating competence in the workplace: "Competency schemes ensure individuals in safety-critical and other positions are assessed against current legislative, technical and operational requirements. IMCA provides a framework for competence. We strive to promote the reasons why demonstrating and recording a person's skills, knowledge and ability is vital in today's industry where terms such as safety and competence go hand in hand. Because of this we really support this subject being highlighted during the event."

Fruitful training session
In the Node Room of the adjacent National Oceanography Centre (NOC), hydrographic surveyor Agust Magnusson, taught the principles of inshore survey and the importance of survey strategy for safety and data quality. During the well-attended training, Agust Magnusson shared his broad experience and insights taken during his career. The aim of the training session was to be interesting for both students and hydrographic surveyors who aim to keep up their knowledge. This aim was fulfilled, given the large number of visitors that came to the stand afterwards to talk about the training. “As for me, I believe that training and education are vital in this industry and I look forward to representing Atlas in this way at future exhibitions and conferences.”, stated Agust Magnusson.