The crew training sector is growing; with more crew to cater to and more certification regulation, all eyes are on the expansion of the industry's training providers. While in Fort Lauderdale for the boat show, The Crew Report took a tour of Fort Lauderdale-based International Crew Training (ICT)  and the school's brand new facilities, due for completion in December this year.

The new training facility is based in an old gym - something not lost on the crew who will be attending ICT from December onwards. The new facilities include a gym and swimming pool (the latter will also be used for water-based training courses), as well as a business lounge and galley dedicated to crew, including desks and laptops for work - all of which are available to any crew training with ICT.



The new facilities mean, in December, ICT's training offering will have tripled in size. "We want to be the best training facility in the world: the courses that are offered; the quality of the courses that are offered; and the overall experience," said Jay Lasner, chief executive officer at ICT. "We're trying to create a destination."

The expansion comes both from the training provider's desired message to crew - "we really care" - as well as a response to industry growth. "The industry is changing; it's growing. We have to be professional at what we do [and] we have to change for the industry," explains Brian Luke, chief operations officer at ICT.


The facilities are scheduled for completion before the end of the year. "It's a risk," says Luke of the investment in the new training centre. "We want to show it off, but we also want to make sure that we follow through."