Eastern Pacific Shipping , one of the world’s largest privately owned ship management companies, has recorded strong demand for self-directed learning after MarinePALS, a maritime e-learning provider, rolled out its microlearning platform across all 161 vessels within 30 days.

In the first 45 days, 485 active users watched 26,722 videos and completed a combined 2,181 hours of training, averaging more than 55 videos each.

The scale of the uptake suggests that seafarers are willing to learn independently when material is concise, engaging, practical and easy to fit around their responsibilities onboard. Rather than relying solely on assigned courses, EPS crew have been exploring the content and returning to the platform to view further videos.

Engagement was particularly high aboard several vessels. One ship’s crew watched 3,810 videos, another ship watched 1,684 and several other ships have watched over 500 videos within 45 days.

Since launching in July 2023, MarinePALS has pioneered and ushered in the future of learning, through microlearning videos, gamification and virtual reality programs. Seafarers are appreciating the content, giving an overall rating of at least 98% for these modern training programs.

MarinePALS combines videos covering specific subjects with individual scorecards and fleet leaderboards. EPS can monitor viewing figures and training time, allowing its training team to understand how crews are using the content rather than relying solely on course completion records.

Capt. Pradeep Singh, Training Manager at Eastern Pacific Shipping, said: “We have seen a strong appetite for learning since introducing microlearning across the fleet. The level of activity shows that crews are not simply logging in to complete an assigned course but are exploring subjects for themselves.

“Watching more than 26,000 videos during the initial period is a strong indication that the format fits around life onboard and gives seafarers a straightforward way to continue developing their knowledge.”

Capt. Pradeep Chawla, CEO of MarinePALS, added: “The way people learn has changed. Long courses remain important for subjects that require depth and formal assessment, but they are not the only way to build knowledge. Microlearning makes it easier to revisit a subject, learn at the point of need and maintain interest between mandatory courses. The response from EPS crews shows what can happen when training is designed around how people now prefer to learn.”