JAPAN's Mitsui OSK Lines seafarer education and training programme, the MOL Rank Skill Training and Evaluation Programme (MOL RankSTEP), has received certification from Oslo-based Det Norske Veritas (DNV) for compliance with the Competence Management System (CMS).

CMS is a management system that improves education programmes by identifying gaps between the skills seafarers currently possess and the qualifications needed to fulfil the corporate philosophy.

The programme also complies with Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operator Ltd (SIGTTO) and Tanker Officer Training Standard (TOTS) requirements, a statement from the transportation company said.

"The introduction of CMS will help MOL identify problems after determining gaps between skills required of seafarers in previous programme and those currently needed, ensuring ongoing improvement of MOL RankSTEP," the statement said.

The skill training and evaluation programme was introduced in 2007 to establish "seafarer skill requirements by position, which unifies skills to be acquired, acquisition methods, and evaluation methods for different types of jobs," it added.