The Maritime Institute Willem Barentsz (MIWB) on Terschelling, the Netherlands, will acquire a new trailing hopper simulator. An investment from the Training and Development Fund for Hydraulic Engineering (Opleidings- en Ontwikkelingsfonds Waterbouw) enables the purchase.
For years now, secondary vocational education (mbo) and higher professional education (hbo) students from all nautical schools in the Netherlands have been training on the trailing hopper simulator at the Maritime Simulation Training Centre (MSTC) of MIWB. The new simulator will keep maritime education in the Netherlands at the top level in the years to come.
The agreement between the parties was signed on Friday 12 April.
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Investing in the future
The Training and Development Fund Hydraulic Engineering is facilitating the purchase of a new modern trailing hopper simulator with an investment. Lea van Vlier, secretary of the Fund, stresses the importance of such investments for high-quality education in the sector. ‘The hydraulic engineering sector wants to present itself as a modern, innovative and attractive sector that offers future prospects to young people and where employees are trained and stimulated to remain attractive on the labour market.’
Gerrit van Leunen, director of MIWB, adds: ‘This offers maritime education excellent opportunities to optimally train and prepare students for a career in hydraulic engineering. We are proud that this facility will be with us at Terschelling.’
In addition to a new simulator at MSTC, the Fund is also reinvesting in teaching aids for maritime mbo education.
Also read: New knowledge campus on Terschelling allows MIWB to expand
Tugboat simulator
A trailing hopper simulator is used to train students in the use and operation of trailing suction hopper dredgers. These vessels are used for dredging operations. The simulator mimics the working environment with various scenarios such as manoeuvring, suction pipe operation, loading the hopper and navigating through water depths.
NHL Stenden wants to prepare its students optimally for the real world and therefore works with simulation education in several courses. Simulation education allows students to gain practical experience in a safe and controlled environment. The simulations can be repeated endlessly, until you have really mastered the art, so that the students are even better prepared for practical situations.
Picture: Erica Schaper (chairman of the NHL Stenden board of governors), Lea van Vlier (secretary Training and Development Fund Hydraulic Engineering), Gijs Lokhorst (chairman of the board of the Fund) and Gerrit van Leunen (director MIWB) sign the agreement for the trailing hopper simulator in MIWB’s Maritime Design Studio (by MIWB).
Also read: Maritime teaching programmes are being modernised across Europe
