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Castrol Marine, the UK- based, leading supplier of marine lubricants and part of the BP Group, has launched a new service for customers to address the widening skills gap in the marine engineering sector.

Castrol Academy is a module- based training course designed to help ensure marine engineers in the modern marine industry have a broad range of skills to help move the industry forwards.

In the UK alone, the engineering sector, which includes the marine industry, is suffering from an ever- increasing skills gap due to an ageing workforce and a lack of skilled new talent entering the sector.

A recent survey conducted by the Institute of Engineering & Technology found that 55 per cent of those polled within the industry faced problems recruiting experienced, well-trained members of staff. Fifty per cent of those polled felt that the problem would increase and they would not be able to recruit the right people in five years’ time.

Castrol Academy has been developed in direct response to this skills shortage and allows marine operatives to study each module via a study pack with online support materials available anywhere in the world.

A total of eleven modules include everything from basic skills such as indentifying ship types, the basics of lubrication and working with base oils to more advanced skill sets such as engine operation, machinery installation and power transmission.

Commenting on Castrol Academy, Paul Lowther of Castrol Marine, said: “The onus to improve skills and raise standards within our sector is firmly on the industry as a whole, including organisations such as ours who supply the sector. Not only to help those in the industry improve their skills, but also to ensure that the industry has the right people to take it forward, adopting new technology, improving sustainability, encouraging young people to enter the industry and so on.

“The skills gap itself is well documented and we believe the eleven modules we have set out as part of Castrol Academy will make a significant, positive impact on raising the standard of training within the industry. This is also not a one-off offer: we intend to add new modules and offer online assessment to engrain this programme into our customers and the wider industry.