East Coast College is proud to announce the successful award of £50,000 in funding from the Maritime Educational Foundation (MEF), supporting the enhancement of its MCA-approved cadet training programmes. This one-off grant, approved by MEF Trustees, is part of a national initiative to elevate maritime education and skills across the UK.
The funding will be used to implement new training resources, ensuring East Coast College cadets are equipped with cutting-edge tools and technologies.
East Coast College will deploy the MEF grant to acquire essential hardware and software, including six desktop simulator stations featuring Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), forty maritime-use laptops for seamless access to Regs4Ships, digital course materials, navigational publications, and MCA-approved software as well as Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) and other regulatory-compliant digital resources.
These upgrades are critical to supporting the new computer-based learning and assessment model, ensuring cadets have uninterrupted access to specialised digital tools within maritime classrooms, making space for exciting new courses in the near future.
In recognition of MEF’s generous support, East Coast College will prominently feature MEF branding across its facilities and platforms, including branding within the Energy Skills Centre, home to our Maritime training facilities, website branding, social media exposture, and clearly marking any equipment purchased via the funding with the MEF logo.
Head of Department for Maritime Nautical Science, Khaled Abdelsalam said: “This investment marks a major step in East Coast College’s commitment to world-class maritime training. By integrating advanced digital technologies into our cadet programmes, we are modernising the learning environment and equipping our students with the practical and digital skills needed for today’s maritime industry. We thank the Maritime Educational Foundation for their generous support in making this possible.”
This investment marks a significant milestone in East Coast College’s commitment to delivering world-class maritime training and preparing the next generation of officers for the evolving demands of the industry.
For more information about East Coast College’s maritime programmes and its partnership with the Maritime Educational Foundation, visit www.eastcoast.ac.uk