Nautical Students Help Promote Maritime Enterprise Game

NAUTICAL STUDENTS HELP PROMOTE MARITIME ENTERPRISE GAME

Posted: 10:35AM - Mon 23rd June 2008

Fleetwood Nautical Campus is helping to make its teaching both fun and educational with the introduction of a new training game.

The Maritime Enterprise Game has been developed with £30,000 provided by North West shipping companies and 2,000 copies will be distributed free to schools.

Participants in the board game have to plot their way around the Irish Sea to Fleetwood and other ports, including Barrow, Liverpool and Dublin, winning contracts and handling cargo along the way.  The game promotes the maritime industry and promotes such skills as maths.

Head of Campus, John Matthews said: "We were concerned students wouldn't be interested in an old-fashioned board game with all of these new top-of-the-range computer games.  But when we showed them the Maritime Enterprise Game, it was as if they were fed up with computer games!

"We have tested it with age groups varying from 15 to 20 year-olds and it's gone down a treat.

"Players have to buy ships, containers, wagons and cargoes.  They compete for contracts and service them, making sure the cash flow works and they look at and learn about leases and purchases."

The game was showcased at an event in London in October, attended by Prince Andrew, HRH The Duke of York.  He was very impressed with the game, which was explained and demonstrated to him by our students currently studying at the campus.