At the AIDA Academy, our training and professional development center in Rostock, we bring courses of study as well as training and development programs together under one roof. This is the best way to ensure the bi-directional transfer of expertise and to make sure that practical on-board experiences are integrated into research innovations. At the AIDA Academy we added a simulation center for nautical and technical officers, which covers an area of 170 square meters. Here budding managers and junior staff can regularly practice maritime maneuvers and safety drills according to international standards.
When training on the full-mission bridge, maneuvers that account for influencing factors such as swell, wind, current, various lighting conditions, and precipitation can be simulated 1:1 on the 220 degree panoramic screens. Training is conducted in the regions of the world that AIDA cruise ships visit, including the ports of Hamburg, Bangkok, and New York as well as busy areas like the Kadet Trench, the Dover Strait, and the Bosporus.
We use the bridge simulator to conduct equipment and system training programs for new officers and students. The engine room simulator reenacts the operation of the on-board machinery as well as emergencies for team and individual exercises.
In November 2013, we linked the bridge simulator and the engine room simulator to create an innovation in European simulation technology. As a result, we are now able to conduct even more complex safety exercise under almost realistic conditions.
In addition to on-site training courses, simulations, and workshops, we also use modern methods such as blended learning and e-learning to help our employees gain qualifications. This also includes the web-based learning management system known as AIDA Expert, which our employees can access 24 hours a day from anywhere with Internet access for independent learning. The training catalogue includes all of the courses that AIDA offers as well as mobile learning modules on occupational health and safety, management standards, data protection, as well as technical and soft skill training. Our goal is to make online training as realistic as possible. For this reason, we are continuously developing AIDA-specific programs that are precisely tailored to the different job specifications on board. This is also why the training content has been enhanced with special modules such as ethics and compliance courses as well as German, Italian, and English courses. In 2013, we once again expanded the target group-specific offerings for specialty training, e-learning, management training, and language courses.
