The Merchant Navy Training Board (abbreviated to MNTB) is a voluntary body responsible for maritime training in the United Kingdom and for the training of the

British Merchant Navy The British Merchant Navy is the collective name given to British civilian ships and their associated crews, including officers and ratings. In the UK, it is simply referred to as the Merchant Navy or MN. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensi ...

. The MNTB are based at the

UK Chamber of Shipping The UK Chamber of Shipping is the trade association and lobbying organisation of the UK shipping industry, representing around 200 member companies. They work with government, parliament, international organisations and others in the maritime ind ...

office in London and publications are provided by the

Witherby Publishing Group Witherby Publishing Group, formerly known as Witherby Seamanship, is a technical publisher of maritime, nautical and navigation training, reference and regulatory materials. The company is the resulting merger of Witherby Books and Seaman ...

. The Head of the MNTB is Secretary Kathryn Neilson who leads the MNTB board responsible for setting the policies and standards of the organisation.

Training, Standards and Syllabuses

The MNTB promote seafarer training in the UK and are responsible for the official UK government training syllabuses for Merchant Navy Officers. Officers are issued with an MNTB training portfolio which must be completed. Together with OPITO (the international skills organisation for the energy industry), the MNTB provide a training programme for transitioning between the

oil and gas A fossil fuel is a flammable carbon compound- or hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms (animals, plants or microplanktons), a process that occurs within geologi ...

industry into shipping. In 2020, the MNTB launched a ''Careers at Sea'' initiative to highlight maritime careers. Additionally, in 2020, in partnership with the Merchant Navy Welfare Board and several maritime charities, the MNTB launched a Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing Training Standard.

References

{{Reflist Education in the London Borough of Southwark Organisations based in the London Borough of Southwark