Orange Coast College’s Waterfront Campus Will Welcome TRLMI in the Spring

NEWPORT BEACH一 Orange Coast College Waterfront Campus and the Training Resources Maritime Institute of San Diego (TRLMI) announced a new collaboration on Oct. 14 to offer TRLMI classes at the new center in Newport Beach starting in January 2022.

The collaboration was brought together by Director of the Maritime Center Sarah Hirsch and CEO of TRLMI Dave Abrams to fill the new facility and increase the curriculum available for the maritime community.

“We really want to continue supporting our community here, it just seemed natural to partner with them to expand the opportunities available,” said Kara Houston, project manager at the Professional Mariner Training Center.

OCC celebrated the opening of its brand-new Professional Mariner Training Center on Sept. 24. The new facility offers classroom and laboratory space, a radar training room, conference room, student lounge, and a Full Mission Bridge Simulator with 45 ownship models that allow students to practice operating a wide variety of vessels.

“We just opened our Professional Mariner Training Center and our goal really is to get people in the building and utilize the space,” said Kara Houston, project manager for the waterfront campus. “It is an incredible facility and the technology it houses elevates us to industry standards of training. Support from our industry partners such as TRLMI will enable us to keep this high standard. We are grateful to the public and private support that has brought us to the place we are today.”

TRLMI is the largest privately-held provider of maritime training in the Western United States. The center has over 80 approved U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy courses for certifications in deck, engineering, weapons, and safety requirements.

“TRLMI will provide their curriculum and instructors from San Diego to teach the class,” said Houston. “…We can offer more to the community here and also facilitate students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to make the journey down to San Diego.”

The program will bring instructors and curriculum to the new training center for those who may not make the trip down to San Diego for a week-long course.

The courses offered through the partnership are a part of the build-out process for the continuing education program offered through the center.

Courses will include: Leadership and Managerial Skills, Leadership and Teamworking Skills, Advanced Fire Fighting, Bridge Resource Management, Able Seaman, Vessel Personnel with Designated Security Duties (VPDSD), Vessel Security Officer (VSO), Rating Forming Part of a Navigational Watch (RFPNW) assessments only, and Electronic Chart Display Information System (ECDIS).

“It adds many courses that are U.S. Coast Guard-approved so that students can come here and get additional certifications such as from basic training to Rating Forming Part of a Navigational Watch (RFPNW),” said Houston. “…And they can use the full mission bridge simulator at our facility, where historically in Orange County, there has not been the opportunity available. This building and the resources in it really add so much to the maritime community.”

Classes are set to start in January, and the facility is in the process of building brochures and adding class options to their website for enrollment set for November.

To learn more or sign up for classes, interested parties can contact the program office at the professional marine training center at waterfrontcampus@occ.cccd.edu or call (949) 205-7352.