As the pace of digital innovation in the maritime shipping ecosystem continues to hasten, organizations are always looking for new ways to enhance efficiency, cost effectiveness, and competitive advantage through technology.

However, technology resources are only as transformative as their ability to empower individual users. This is where the importance of continual learning comes in – to ensure that every user has access to the technical and industry-based knowledge they need to excel.
We talked with one of our Education Content Strategists, Laura Burns, to uncover more about how Veson is helping users of the Veson IMOS Platform (VIP) excel with user-centered training and education resources provided through Veson University.

Veson University has been live for almost a month now. What content is currently available, and what has the reaction been like from the community?

Veson University now offers several learning experiences geared toward VIP users who are new to the system, looking to learn about the latest functionality, or interested in testing and certifying their knowledge. The following content types are available:

  • Learning paths prescribe a set of learning milestones, composed of one or more courses, that build learners’ knowledge in a certain area.
  • Courses provide self-paced training on a particular topic through interactive content and knowledge checks.
  • Certification exams test your VIP knowledge, enabling you to earn formal certification in the software.

The current catalog features two learning paths (VIP Product Concepts and VIP New User Onboarding), composed of 16 beginner-level courses, and one certification (VIP Onboarding 100). All courses are free of charge for the entirety of 2020, with the exception of the paid certification exam.
Since the launch at ONCOURSE 2020, 150 learners have registered and started learning in Veson University. Through the feedback survey at the end of each course, we have received valuable feedback that will help us to continuously improve the learning paths, courses, and certifications offered. Learners seem to enjoy the self-paced course format, which lends itself well to learning complex workflows step-by-step. We have also heard positive feedback about the inclusion of quizzes, activities, and other interactive content, which help learners to retain new information.

Who should take Veson University courses and why? Where do you recommend learners begin?

Depending on your role and goals, Veson University’s catalog provides the flexibility for you to choose a relevant starting point. For example:

  • If you are looking for structured, beginner-level training on VIP’s end-to-end functionality, the VIP New User Onboarding learning path is ideal.
  • If you are interested in learning about a specific topic such as Basic Concepts of Financials, you may choose to complete that particular course.
  • If you are an experienced VIP super user, you can test and certify your knowledge with the VIP Onboarding 100

Anyone can register to learn and build their skills in Veson University. The content will be most beneficial if your organization is implementing or currently using VIP, but all interested learners are welcome. You may find it useful to log in and follow along in VIP, but access to VIP is not a requirement.

You are the author of VIP Overview – can you talk a little about the course material and your background as the course author?

The VIP Overview course gives a very high-level overview of the capabilities of VIP. It begins with a quick introduction to Veson Nautical and how our software supports various verticals within the maritime industry. Then, the course is organized into sections for each major area of the software: Chartering, Operations, Financials, Analytics, and Integration. This particular course brings together a lot of Veson Nautical’s existing, informative resources (from Veson.com, the Knowledge Base, and beyond) to tell the story of VIP.
I have worked at Veson Nautical for 7 years, initially as a member of the Marketing team. In that role, I learned a lot about our clients and how Veson Nautical solutions can help maritime organizations to work most efficiently and profitably. About 4 years ago, I transitioned into Technical Communication, where I now manage the Knowledge Base of product documentation, video tutorials, and FAQs. With the introduction of Veson University, I’m excited to work with product and industry experts across the Veson Nautical community to create new kinds of educational content.

What other learning resources does Veson Nautical offer to clients?

In addition to Veson University courses, Veson Nautical offers several other educational resources for users. For example, you can access the following directly within VIP:

  • A Help Button in the bottom-left corner of the screen opens the Help Center widget, which enables you to search for and read Knowledge Base
  • Field Help definitions appear when you hover over a field, so that you can understand what information to enter.
  • Announcements about new features, upcoming maintenance, and more are routinely published in VIP.

What is the vision for Veson University? How can the community get involved?

Veson University’s vision is to provide a one-of-a-kind commercial maritime focused educational portal that is the preferred option for clients and employees to certify and learn Veson Nautical solutions. To accomplish this, Veson University offers a standardized set of courses, materials, and role-based certifications online and in person to help our community be more successful.
The best way to get involved is to register as a learner and start going through the free learning paths and courses available in the Veson University catalog. At the end of each course, we ask for your feedback — this is where you can make your voice heard about how Veson University can improve and expand to cover the most high-value topics for your organization and the maritime industry.