The secret to success: growth and development

CLSICO actively prioritises the development and care of its people. This is one of its core tenets, and this commitment is deeply embedded in the company’s culture and operational practices. It’s more than just words on the wall in a corporate office. By investing in the growth of its employees, CLSICO has positively impacted the broader maritime industry, particularly in developing LNG expertise within China.

John Wood, Assistant General Manager and Head of Manning and Marine for CLSICO, sees crew training and development as key factors in the company’s ongoing success.

“Our charterers want reliability, they don’t want delays, they don’t want breakdowns. The service we provide is top quality because of our commitment to training and development”.

The company’s office staff and senior officers, including their Captains and Chief Engineers, regularly participate in seminars, such as those hosted by the Maritime Safety Administration in China, to share their knowledge and mentor the next generation of LNG seafarers.

“There is a thirst for knowledge and experience, and we have these things. Using OneOcean’s solutions for crew training and management is all part of our commitment to developing our people.” says John Wood, Assistant General Manager and Head of
Manning & Marine CLSICO.

An international brand and international crew

CLSICO’s success is reflected in both its international operations and its diverse, multinational crew. Officers from China, the UK, NW Europe, Eastern Europe, India, Malaysia and the Philippines, work together with ratings from China and the Philippines, making crew cohesion and cross cultural management critical to safe and efficient vessel operations.

While a multicultural crew is a strength, it also presents unique challenges around crew cohesion, communication, and differing management styles. CLSICO addresses these by incorporating ‘soft skill’ training into all managerial development programmes, ensuring leaders can effectively manage and harness the strengths of a diverse workforce.

“It’s not about the nationality shown in your passport; it’s about the knowledge and experience that you bring to the team. Every officer, regardless of experience, entering the company must complete the SIGTTO LNG competencies,” says Wood.

The value of competence

Investing in crew development has been a cornerstone of CLSICO’s high fleet performance. The company uses competency frameworks extensively to assess current crew performance, identify gaps, and provide a clear path for career advancement.

“We do a lot of onboard training, focusing on what our ships need. Using competencies gives us confidence that we are working to industry standards and best practices, ensuring our crew maintain high performance.” – John

CLSICO also utilises the assessment tools offered by OTG to understand how new and existing crew will perform.

“APRO gives us objective insights into how our senior officers are likely to react in safety-critical situations and, at the same time, reveal an individual’s ability to cooperate in teams, along with identifying personal strengths and individual potential.” – John

The Ocean Learning Platform (OLP) is integral to CLSICO’s training strategy, enabling senior staff to access expert-developed content that supports training without requiring them to be seasoned trainers themselves. This approach is particularly valuable when bidding for new business, as demonstrated by CLSICO’s success with the QatarEnergy tender, where their use of SIGTTO competencies and the OLP highlighted their commitment to excellence.

“With the QatarEnergy tender, the fact we had the SIGTTO competencies and were using OLP showed our commitment as a manager, that we walk the talk,” says John.

The results: evidencing success with the Ocean Learning Platform

The Ocean Learning Platform is central to how CLSICO delivers and demonstrates its commitment to crew development. The platform’s reputation for quality and effectiveness reassures auditors, clients, and crew alike.

“When auditors ask, ‘How do you do your crew training?’ and we can say, ‘We partner with OTG,’ it gives them confidence. They know Ocean Technologies Group, they know the platform, they know the reputation and the quality.”

Audits and inspections allow companies to demonstrate their commitment to high standards and give onboard teams the opportunity to showcase their excellence. John and CLSICO see OTG as a partner that enables them to achieve high standards and easily evidence performance.

Reducing crewing costs

Finding and securing talented crew is increasingly expensive, and when you’re looking for specialists, as CLSICO needs for its LNG fleet, the talent pool is even smaller and more competitive.

CLSICO’s commitment to the development of its people, and its use of OTG solutions, has enabled the upskilling of existing crew and the recruitment of top talent. This investment in people enhances retention and also bolsters CLSICO’s reputation, making it a preferred employer in the LNG sector.

John also believes that using OTG learning solutions has a direct impact on retention, saying, “Seeing the OTG brand on our ships gives our seafarers confidence that they’re in good hands. They’re willing to commit to doing training because they know there will be value in it, and they will learn something.”

This investment in people is attracting more seafarers to work for CLSICO.

“The company is expanding, and we’re recruiting through word of mouth; our reputation for investing in our people is bringing seafarers in; we rarely need to advertise.”

Plans for future development

As CLSICO expands into new markets and its five new builds come online, two of which are larger Q-MAX LNG carriers, the team needs to upskill new and existing crew quickly.

“We have new builds coming with new technology. Training time with manufacturers in the shipyard is limited, so having manufacturer training available in the Ocean Learning Library is a real benefit.”

The Ocean Learning Platform provides an invaluable resource for this ongoing development, ensuring that CLSICO’s crew are well prepared to manage new technologies and maintain high standards as the company grows.

Conclusions

The partnership between CLSICO and OneOcean has played a crucial role in the company’s ability to maintain high standards, enhance crew competency, and drive business growth in the competitive LNG sector.

Through the adoption of the Ocean Learning Platform and the use of industry-recognised competencies, CLSICO has ensured operational excellence and demonstrated its unwavering commitment to the development of its people.

As CLSICO continues to expand its fleet and enter new markets, OTG remains a vital partner, providing the tools and expertise needed to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

The success of this collaboration is evident in CLSICO’s growing reputation as a leader in LNG ship management, attracting top talent and securing new contracts with confidence.

“Using OTG solutions is all part of our commitment to developing our people. The Ocean Learning Platform gives our crew confidence that they’re learning valuable skills that are recognised internationally. This helps with retention and also assures our clients and auditors that we operate at the highest standards.”

Trusted by leading maritime operators, the Ocean Learning Platform helps develop, assess, and retain skilled seafarers through industry-recognised training and competency management. Discover it now.