WAYS TO ACHIEVE THE POTENTIAL OF THE NAVIGATOR’S PROFESSION AS A FACTOR OF IMPROVING THE MERCHANT SHIPPING SAFETY
The purpose of this paper is to find the ways of achieving the potential of the navigator’s profession. The research results are displayed in the paper. The research tasks are to determine experimentally the potential of the improvement process of navigator’s competence during education on the Navigation Department in the maritime educational institutions; identifying and justifying the most effective way to achieve this potential.The comparison method of subjective perception of the navigators’ education quality in the maritime educational institutions and objective level of their competence at the time of teaching on the extension courses is utilized during the research. The potential of the improvement process of the navigators’ competence level is 19,1% and 24,0% for cadets of the Navigation Department of the higher educational institutions and specialised secondary educational establishments respectively. Studying the use of psychophysiological analysis methods during the process of professional selection of civil aviation pilots indicates a high effectiveness of such technique: there is a decrease of the expelled cadets number from 60-75% to 25-30%. Taking into account the similarity of pilot’s and navigator’s professions in the aspect of the psychophysiological requirements for the specialist, as well as cases the experience of successfully using the achievements and developments of the civil and military aviation industry in the maritime field, it is proposed to perform a similar work regarding the navigator’s profession. The first task in this direction is the close cooperation work with current working navigators: questioning, observation, study of working conditions, analysis of specific documentation, selection of professionally significant qualities. The study, which is being currently performed on board of seagoing vessel in the navigator’s real working environment, will serve for this purpose.The professiogram use as the main component of the professional psychophysiological selection is able to become the effective instrument for achieving the potential of the improvement process of the navigator’s competence during teaching on the Navigation Department and one of the factors, increasing the safety of navigation and shipboard operations.