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Commander in Chief fleet visits Marine Skills Centre
1 Mar 2010
The Commander-in-Chief-Fleet of the Royal Navy visited Glasgow College of Nautical Studies and New Campus Glasgow's state of the art Marine Skills Centre on the River Clyde this week, and was impressed by the facilities which students will start using in the autumn.
As Commander-in-Chief-Fleet, Admiral Sir Trevor Soar is responsible for providing ships, submarines, aircraft and Royal Marine units ready in all respects for any operations that the UK Government requires. He is also a NATO Commander and is tasked to ensure NATO maritime forces are ready to engage in joint and combined operations as required by the North Atlantic Council. He was invited to the College by Janet Okten, Principal of Glasgow College of Nautical Studies.
As well as visiting the College's simulators, the Admiral was guided around the Marine Skills Centre site and updated on continuing construction works, including the free fall lifeboat which will be built out into the water from the banks of the Clyde, and is certain to become a landmark on the river.
Admiral Soar commented: "Glasgow College of Nautical Studies is one of the few specialist maritime colleges in the UK and already enjoys an enviable reputation throughout the country for the standard and range of nautical qualifications it offers.
"The Marine Skills Centre and the new riverside campus of the City of Glasgow College will be a centre of excellence for nautical studies, as well a landmark for a city that has such a proud history of shipbuilding, on a river that has such a maritime tradition and strong links to the Royal Navy in particular.
"I was delighted to be invited to the Marine Skills Centre and anticipate that the completed project will be a great success."
As well as touring the centre, Admiral Soar also had the opportunity to meet with the students on the Trainee and Deck Officer programmes, the seafarers of the future.
The £5.6 million teaching centre is the first visible construction of New Campus Glasgow, the project that will create one of Europe's largest further education centres when Glasgow College of Nautical Studies merges with Metropolitan College and Central College in August 2010.
Once completed, the Marine Skills Centre will offer future seafarers the opportunity for realistic rather than simulated practice on lifeboats and other facilities, fully exploiting its location on the River Clyde. The centre will appear to float above the river beside the Albert Bridge, will be accessible by gangways and will also have a practice pontoon.
