What Should Trainees Be Taught?

[Shaun Briant]

I can understand why the experienced people are fed up; there is nothing worse than having dead wood in a team.

I will be coming into the ROV world with a military background, some experience in mechanical engineering and as a half decent computer engineer (no I’m not a geek) and of course with the knowledge I will gain from Fort William. I doubt all this experience will be enough, but what courses are there that can prepare you enough for life offshore? From what I see only life offshore can give you that experience and of course the knowledge can only be gained from the experienced team members.

Any one going into any new industry be it offshore work or as a sales assistant in a local shop needs to go in with the right attitude, but this seems to be an issue as a whole with society today, but then that is a whole new debate.

I will let you know how I find the course at Fort William, to be far it’s pretty good so far. One things for sure the instructor I have has had a far bit of offshore experience and he is pushing the fact that we need to adopt the right attitude and not to be afraid to get stuck in, I only hope this will be reciprocated by the senior members of the team when I get offshore.

Anyway, I will do my best to change some attitudes. If any one wants to offer any advice, I’m more than willing to take in on board.

SB

[Andy Shiers]

That’s nice ……………. 😕

[Theblackfingernail]

They should do as there Told when there Told and not just after the Email there writing, which looks like it might be longer than War and Peace.

Get on that A-Frame junior and paint like you’v never painted before, and by the looks of it you never have!, Zippppppp it !!!

The Finger

[Allegedly]

Shit SB, thats you told. Please ring me when you meet the dreaded fingernail, I want to see your quiverin, petrified visage when he says that to your poor, waith and stray like visage in a boozer in Aberdeen, that oasis of craic of the North. 🙁

[TheBaron]

Last poster, are you Allegedly near a wall, or Allegedly, near a wall?

Neat 8)

[Andy Shiers]

Must be the wailing one 🙂
Berlin aint there anymore 😕

[temp]

SB

Er, if you are asking for some advice, you said…. "I will do my best to change some attitudes…etc". Maybe I have misunderstood your point, but if I were you, I wouldn’t go trying to change anyones attitude in your first few trips offshore, as it probably won’t go down too well!

Sounds like your engineering experience and background will stand you in good staid, but as in any new job, work hard, keep your head down a bit, ask questions/listen and soak up advice, and don’t think you are gods gift to the ROV industry. Saying that, trainees shouldn’t be afraid to make suggestions or speak up, especially if you think something isn’t safe. It is quite hard to adapt to being a trainee again, especially if you have had a supervisory role in a previous job such as SNCO in forces etc.
Expect to do plenty of the crappy jobs that we all have to do, and maybe end up stuck out on the winch etc quite a bit. can be a bit dissillusioning at first if you expect to be jumping straight on the sticks.

As mentioned, the ROV ‘induction’ course at FW is not rated particularly highly by many offshore. It is just that, a familiarisation intro to ROV’s, probably better than nothing, but not worth the money – even if paid for out of your princely resettlement allowance (I hear it is still only £500-ish, which is actually less than it was 14yrs ago when I left the mob).

Good luck
temp

[Allegedly]

Baron,sorry, TheBaron, what a good question. had me ponderin for a long time and as I’m sure we all know you cant beat a good ponder…..well, perhaps you could but I’m not sure if you’d leave your clothes on or involve guinness in the process.It was at that point that I realised, as a fully paid up numpty, I didnt understand the question.So, to demonstrate my potential for management training, I’ll waffle.As Allegedly, I am regularly near walls, Allegedly.
Been to Berlin, good craic there and there’s a lot of walls there too, even the ‘big’ one has a lot left. Appalling (no,not my alternative name) history that it has, it has an even worse plaster job.
And, as a final point to ponder, how would one plaster a constantly wet wailing one? I think we should be told.

[TheBaron]

Allegedly, it’s a good job you didn’t allege to be at The Wall, coz I was, and I didn’t see you for any of the 3 special concerts put on by the reformed band, Pink Floyd, after the partial destruction of the Berlin Wall. I’d hate to be the one to expose you as a charlatan and a LIAR……but I would ❗

[Andy Shiers]

Easy Tiger 😯

[Theblackfingernail]

Well Baron it looks like we’v got a live one, Allegedly!!!,

Good to see some banter getting through onto the site.

As for changing some attitudes SB, good luck, forces or not.

Theres alot more to ROVing than fixing the sub no matter what your back ground is, for a start get your Tea making skills up to sratch, and being able to get biscuits off the camp boss or one of his helpers with put you in good stead, and you might even get a second trip.

You say that you have "some experience in mechanical engineering and as a half decent computer engineer (no I’m not a geek)", Is that with mecano or lego ?? Ha ha

Supv says to SB – are you Mechanical or Electrical?

SB says to Supv – a bit of both, ( with a simle )

Supv says to SB – ‘O’, one of those, ( with a look to the heavens )

A jack of all trades, master on none.

Fort Bill not worth the money, better blowing it on beer and hookers.

Time for some Trainee Realinement.

The Finger

[misiuek]

psssst

two words ……. spell checker

[Theblackfingernail]

Cheers,

I drink alot and I forget things.

Cant be perfect all the time.

[misiuek]

ah well that explains everything…… well to a level i fully lower myself to in occasion

trainees/newbies are like aseholes we all need them… the difference is are you going to be useful or subtituted by a bag!

very rarely are you going to come across 2 supervisors that a) think alike b) converse alike c) temperment’s alike. choices are split shifts lessons the hell for both super and crew and doing what one is paid to do and knuckling down.

you may think i have lost it but…. see a tywrap end on deck pick it up, killer spray bottle empty fill it up, same wd40 etc show respect not only to the supervisor (which can be difficult at times) but to your work enviroment
READ the manuals after 3rd time ask questions (look for cleanest page probably something that hasnt broken in a while…)

nobody is perfect (apart from me that is!, thats only once a year) but learn from your mistakes as previously mentioned we dont really care where you came from before you started its only polite conversation…. before you end up operating the winch or painting it.

common sense is the greatest and surprisingly lacking gift

phew ….. anyone for a voddie

[TheBaron]

Allegedly, my corporate layers have advised me to clarify my statement re. case: Allegedly v The Wall.
During the aforementioned rock concerts titled “The Wall”, I failed to mention in my deposition that there was in fact ‘a ledge‘ present at the venues(just below the main stage where the bouncers were picking their noses, allegedly). This ledge has taken offence to this association, and alleges that the public are now alleging that it is in some way related to Allegedly. I had no intention of causing such grief to a minor celebrity ledge. Apologies to a ledge.

[Author]

Posts