Introducing S.T.E.P.
an innovative and modern yachting scheme

Promoting safe, educated, proficient and enjoyable boating worldwide
The Sail Training Educational Programme is a contemporary development scheme for pleasure and professional yacht sailing. Abbreviated to S.T.E.P., this system offers a complete and comprehensive syllabus that focuses on the growth and progress of the candidate in order to build the most solid foundation of knowledge, experience and proficiency in yachting. It is an innovative and modern yachting scheme, designed for both pleasure and professional yacht sailing in a modern world.
Compared to many other training schemes, S.T.E.P. takes an innovative approach by being extremely structured and defined, offering a logical progress ladder through levels or steps, ensuring that the candidate fully completes each area and achieves a successful competence in each.
S.T.E.P. aspires to provide the highest standard of yacht training in the world.
Promoting development in skills and competence
The strength of S.T.E.P. lies in its focus on developing the candidates skills rather than rushing through a syllabus to obtain a certificate. Each level in the programme must be completed with at least a 85% success rate in order to move on to the next step. Compared to many other leisure sail training schemes, this approach leans more towards the method of professional and legitimate educational organisations. Even though this may initially be disconcerting for the candidate as the progress does not appear quick enough, it promotes an extremely solid foundation of skills and a rich level of knowledge for each and every level. The objective with S.T.E.P. is to train each candidate into a learned and proficient sailor who is competent and confident in their skills and experience. This method of training facilitates that objective.
No personal judgement or bias from an examiner
The strength of S.T.E.P. is in how precisely the skills are defined. There is no ambiguity to what is required and expected from the candidate at any part of the syllabus, and the student has a clear objective to work towards and to accomplish. Many other sail training schemes have very vague definitions of the skills required. The argument is often that it is difficult, not to say impossible, to properly define different aspects of the learning plan because of the diverse nature and limitless situations occurring in sailing. Therefore, the candidates are often left with an unclarity of what level to attain and are ultimately assessed by an examiner whose personal bias plays a role in the decision of a pass or fail.
S.T.E.P. gets rid of all of that nonsense by offering an extremely unambiguous description of what is expected at each moment and what performance constitutes a successful completion of the course content. The policy of S.T.E.P. is not to rely on lazy writing and personal opinions, but rather on tangible, measurable results that stems from an objective and well-considered learning plan.
A benchmark in the industry
The strength of S.T.E.P.'s policies in training and its carefully designed curriculum is that it gives an enormously improved standardisation in the world of yachting. As the level of competence in other certification models fluctuate wildly, S.T.E.P. aspires to provide a clear and distinct indication of a candidate's skills, knowledge, proficiency and expertise. Whether a student of S.T.E.P. decides to continue recreationally or to progress professionally in yachting, their current level of competence is defined and irrefutable. This is beneficial for all parties; Charter companies can expect a precise level of proficiency from their clients, employers can expect an exact degree of expertise from their staff members and insurance companies will have a definitive standard to work with. As irregularity in skill- and proficiency level is an increasing problem in the yachting world, S.T.E.P. aspires to be a leading benchmark in the industry
The forecast of S.T.E.P.
S.T.E.P. is preparing with excitement for its official launch. Currently a major part of the syllabus, along with the requirements and definitions are complete. Finalising these areas and providing a larger amount of Resources is required before S.T.E.P. will celebrate its entrance into the world of sail training. In the meantime, we are happy to announce that the Resources will be made available and published progressively upon completion.
In the future, S.T.E.P. will be made available as a training and diploma system for closely acknowledged and strictly authorised academies, schools and training centres. Candidates will have the opportunity to learn, study and train appropriately and to obtain the various diplomas within S.T.E.P. It is an ambition that S.T.E.P. will also be recognised as a certification system by official authorities, such as ministries of transportation and coastguard in various countries.
S.T.E.P. has no desire to compete with existing certification systems, but rather to offer its own superb level of training and standards, resulting in a level of knowledge, skills and proficiency in the candidate that supersedes current and available training models.

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