South Louisiana Community College’s Maritime Training Program has received the donation of a fully refurbished barge from Cenac Marine Services.  The barge, which replicates a standard Cenac tank barge, is located in Munson Slip in Houma. SLCC tankerman training is being held there. This barge will allow for more hands-on training to a school that was badly in need of better training materials.  Depending on the size of the class, hands-on barge training can last approximately 8 hours long, according to a statement issued by Cenac. For now, the goal is a new class every two weeks. The very first batch of future mariners began training on August 12th.  Certified Cenac captains are serving as instructors, on their off time. They are certified by the state of Louisiana to teach the course, which takes a total of 32 hours to complete. After that course completion each candidate must complete basic firefighter training. Once that is done, the Cenac statement says, the candidates are certified as oil tankermen.  “From the very start of this project I have been excited about what we can offer to the community and to those interested in becoming tankermen,” Cenac said. “My company and I are fortunate to have the opportunity to provide a hands-on learning experience to many people for years to come.” If you or someone you know is interested in enrolling in SLCC’s maritime training program, you can register at 331 Dickson Road in Houma where the barge is housed or to learn more about South Louisiana Community College and its maritime training offerings, visit http://www.solacc.edu.

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