Quality Assurance

With the advent of the revised STCW code new aspects were introduced in the traditional maritime education and training concepts. One of these aspects is the matter of quality standards in maritime education and training with consequently the related quality control and quality assurance requirements.
The revised STCW explicitly tackles the matter of quality standards in the chapters I/8 of the Annex, Part A and Part B. The relevant points from Annex I/8 are:

all training, assessment of competence, certification, endorsement and revalidation activities carried out by non-governmental agencies or entities under its authority are continuously monitored through a quality standards system to ensure achievement of defined objectives including those concerning the qualifications and experience of instructors and assessors,
where governmental authorities perform such activities there shall be a quality standards system,
an evaluation is periodically undertaken, by persons not involved in the activities concerned,
information regarding the evaluation shall be communicated to the Secretary General of IMO.
 

The MIWB has been accredited by various professional and governmental authorities, both national and international, in order to ascertain that a continued high standard of quality is assured:

• the Dutch Ministry of Education for the full time Bachelor programmes
• the Dutch Ministry of Transport for all maritime postgraduate STCW courses
• the British Nautical Institute for Dynamic Positioning programmes and facilities
• the Norwegian Det Norske Veritas for the Simulator Systems, Simulator Centre, Maritime Academy and certain courses.