Bondholders focus: Offshore Training Centre, Grimsby

In 2024, the inaugural Changemakers Award was granted to Offshore Training Centre in Grimsby. We were impressed by OTC’s values and mission and their potential to have a real impact in the renewable energy sector, one of the region’s largest and fastest growing industries. 

We caught up with Terri-Louise Precious, OTC Training Manager to find out more about OTC and what winning the award means for their business. 

Terri, congratulations on winning the inaugural Changemakers Award. What does being part of Bondholders mean to you and to OTC?

It is a remarkable achievement for OTC. We have been running since December and to win the Changemakers Award feels like an acknowledgement of a lot of long hours, hard work and unwavering commitment from all the staff at OTC. 

Being part of Bondholders will actively aid the growth of OTC by providing a platform for us to shine. Half of the struggle of being a new training provider is to get the word out of who you are, where you are and what you do. Bondholders facilitate a professional setting that unites the region’s businesses, which will actively aid the rise of the OTC profile.

What is OTC and what do you do?

The OTC role is to be a positive community stepping stone to encourage and maintain a safety focused training environment for working professionals, bridging the gap between the workers and the roles they fulfil. We will continue to develop into becoming the driving force in welcoming individuals through the training centre to enhance their skills whilst working towards a greener, brighter and more sustainable future.

How did you personally get involved in offshore training?

Before coming into the offshore wind industry I was a firefighter at Humberside Fire and Rescue. Like many 25 year olds, the idea of working in renewables appealed to me so I took the jump. The benefit I have is that the Fire Service gave me great foundations to build on, for example Global Wind Organisation (GWO) accreditation requires First Aid, Fire Awareness, Working at Heights, Sea Survival and Manual Handling as their Basic Safety Training elements – all elements covered with being a Fire Fighter, changing Working at heights to Rope Access and Sea Survival to Swift water rescue so I had the perfect skill set to transfer over.

What’s your favourite part of your job?

Most definitely the people that come to us for the training. I ran a Sea Survival course two weeks ago where a delegate had a fear of the water. They took part in all of the classroom theory prior to dinner and was very open about the fact he couldn’t swim; he hates open water and he was very nervous. My role was to get him to have the confidence in the kit and equipment used offshore and embrace the exercises to complete the course. He did exactly that and by the end of Sea Survival he was over the moon with what he achieved and got quite emotional of the fact that he had faced his fears throughout the course. I’ve had similar incidents with people who have a fear of heights and by the end of the course they descend out of a 15-meter Training Tower.

What have OTC got planned for the next 12 months and beyond?

Well, in the previous six months we have had two external audits. We deliver 12 GWO accredited courses, 10 CPD workplace accredited courses and since March we have been actively delivering courses. To date we have delivered over 45 courses, in three months. 

As for the next 6 -12 months, we will be focusing on the delivery and growth of the business, potentially even adding more courses to our scope, and looking to meet another accreditation to deliver STCW (Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping) courses. You have seen what we can achieve in 6 months, there are no limitations.

How does OTC add value to the Humber region?

At OTC, we are a positive link between our residents in the Humber region and the Accreditations required for the workforce, whether that be Onshore, Offshore, Factories or an Office complex. With the training we deliver we can assist most workplaces in the region allowing the employees to further their career and the employers to remain compliant to the legislations and laws that govern their sites, for example Fire marshals and Workplace First aid.

What’s your favourite place to go in our region and why?

I like the simple things in life. I love a good old trip to the seaside, get a cone of chips and watch the boats pass by through the Humber.