Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
£6.5 million investment in state-of-the-art facility provides a boost to local economy
Dover based Viking Recruitment Ltd has started construction of a state-of-the-art maritime training and conference facility at its head office on the Beechwood Business Park in Dover. The Maritime Skills Academy will include a specialist fire fighting and a sea survival centre with wave pool and accompanying environmental effects. The new complex will meet the increased demand for such training with new regulations coming into force in 2017 requiring all seafarers to undertake increased training as well as refresher training every five years.
In addition to providing safety and sea survival training, the centre will also feature numerous training rooms for professional development, simulator training equipment, a conference provision for 120 people, modern kitchens, a restaurant, and coffee shop/bar, all utilised for maritime hospitality training. The Maritime Skills Academy also provides a boost to the local economy, as trainees will require accommodation in local hotels and B&Bs.
Viking Recruitment, established in 1988, has secured financing for the development along with an initial interest free loan of £1.3 million from the East Kent Expansion Fund, part of the £40 million Regional Growth Fund.
Dieter Jaenicke, Chairman and Founder of Viking Recruitment, said: "Dover has a rich seafaring heritage with many people employed in the maritime industries across East Kent. Up until now, they have had to travel further afield and even abroad for such training, but from 2015 they will be able to train here in Dover. The new centre will also provide an important showcase for maritime careers to young people whether at sea or ashore."
Cllr Paul Watkins, Leader of Dover District Council, said: "This is another example of renewed investor confidence in the Dover District. Viking Recruitment has built a strong business in Dover, and has spotted a great opportunity to expand their business and build on Dover's reputation for maritime innovation and excellence."
Great news for Dover as this will also be good news for the Town with a lot of extra spend from those attending these courses.
Roger
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
read about this on facebook in the last 5 mins.thought about posting it myself.
some good news if it dose.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
good news indeed, thinking back i was chatting to neil and richard moffatt back in september 2012 at the "port" event in pencester gardens and both mentioned about the efforts being made to get this up and running.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Well done to Deiter - he has worked very hard on this - including the funding. Well done also DDC's Planning officers and the Regeneration Manager who have worked very closely with him and had this processed in double quick time.
Roger
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
Great news and will be a massive boost for Dover and its surrounding communities.
This will have cause an effect for more investment and growth in Dover and elsewhere.
With Viking Recruitment Ltd, state-of-the-art maritime training and conference facility and with Hadlow's Colleges Betteshanger Sustainable Parks, things are looking better nearly overnight with much more yet to come.
Well done to all involved.
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
What happened to p&o in house training canter in Dover ?
And they did survival at sae in Folkestone
Are all there workers now from an employment agency ?
Guest 1694- Registered: 24 Feb 2016
- Posts: 1,087
Been popping updates on Facebook on the Whitfield Maritime Training Centre since they broke ground on 17th December and before that, since more than 2 years ago, talking on and off about this really positive development by Deiter and all the guys at Viking.
Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
So do all the ferry's now get there staff from employment agencies ?
Guest 1694- Registered: 24 Feb 2016
- Posts: 1,087
Hi Keith, I don't know.
Viking recruit mostly for the Cruise and Super-Yacht sector deep sea and the Skills Academy at Whitfield is, in part, about delivering on going training and development for both our younger people in the sea going maritime sector and to provide local facilities to allow local shipping companies and the off-shore wind service fleet to maintain skill levels and basic qualification renewals as required by the new Manila Rules amendments to the STCW convention.
Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
Thanks Neal
But There getting cash from the growth fund, Presumably the growth fund is taxpayers funded .
So it looks like taxpayers will be funding something that the ferry shipping companies used to do for them selves.
No wonder the conservatives are applauding
Why didn't all the ferry -shipping companies build a new facility, employ direct labour and cut out the agency to save money ?
It's no wonder wages have hardily moved in 20 years if agencies are involved
Dover people did these jobs, and proper wages from these jobs help the local economy.
May be we see a link between the desolation of dover, and changes in industries and working practises in and around Dover district.
The conservative shut the pits and encouraged agency working over direct employment striping out wages from the district
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
You could ask the ferry companies why they didn't want to do that Keith - maybe they didn't think it commercially viable; maybe it needed a separate company to invest.
All funding comes from the public - Lottery funding or EU funding - in taxes or other ways.
There's absolutely nothing to grumble about on this development, it is good from every angle.
Roger
Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
So who will be the Owners of this site ,the taxpayers or private companies ??
And who will get the profits ?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
viking would own it i assume and benefit from any subsequent profit, the town gains by having a facility that provides jobs and training and hopefully the bed and breakfasts will gain custom.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
let's not forget that it is only an interest free loan that viking are getting, and when fully up and running and those on the courses hopefully will be spending money in town when not working.
Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
Dover had this facility ? ,the shipping companies trained there workers and paid workers direct, what happened ?
I don't have a problem with taxpayers helping business with a lone, provided interest on the loan is covered
And the taxpayers don't get shafted.That's just good house keeping
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
all ferry workers except my ferry link are on zero hours contracts.
Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,037
Not all Brian, probably the agency workers though.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
that's about 80% on zero hours then alec.
Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
Very sad that an industry that gave Dover people jobs and wages to support them selves and the local economy, has been reduced to this.
The rise of the agencies is having a massif impact on normal working people, and job security.
Its all wrong that agency get to take a cut of workers wages.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
And DFDS pay their workers through Guernsey, I gather. I can't imagine why.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson