Add cramped conditions, long working hours, noise and mountainous waves and you come close to the lot of those quite literally all at sea with their studies – merchant and navy seamen and women.
Like Adam Taylor, the recipient of the 2011 Marine Society/Open University Outstanding Seafarer Student Prize.
Adam is a Chief Officer with BP and is currently studying for an OU MBA.
He started studying management after gaining his Master’s Certificate at the age of 25 sailing through a certificate of management and a diploma, he told the November issue of Nautilus Telegraph – newspaper of the Nautilus International maritime trade union and professional organisation.
“There’s no real management training in the shipping industry.
“You do a bit at college but most of the time you just hope your teams will perform to the best of their ability,” he said while on leave attending the awards ceremony at St Katharine Dock in London in October.
Adam is currently serving on board the 80,000 tonne Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel Greater Plutonio off the coast of Angola.
The ship, which can store 2 million barrels of oil and transfer 200,000 barrels in a day, sits on top of a huge offshore oil field and has 100 crewmembers.
Adam, who was presented with a laptop computer by Paul Drake OU Business Development Manager (Services), said studying for an MBA had helped his training role on board (see picture above).
“These studies have given me a massive insight into how things work and it has certainly changed the way I work,” he told the Nautilus Telegraph.
Brian Thomas, Director of the Marine Society, which provides services to seafarers to enhance learning and personal development and works with the OU, said tough conditions are a daily norm for them.
“To study, sit and achieve impressive results in such conditions merits the highest praise,” he said.
- Study for an OU MBA
- The Marine Society
- Nautilus International
