Maritime e-learning provider MarinePALS is calling on flag States that still depend on paper-based seafarer training record books to expedite the adoption of approved digital alternatives for officer cadets and broader onboard training programmes.

Training record books document the mandatory sea service and competency assessments required under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), and flag States bear primary responsibility for certifying that those requirements have been met.

Approaches across major maritime nations are diverging. The United Kingdom has begun phasing out paper training record books in favour of an electronic system, while the Philippines is developing a unified digital platform to track cadet sea service. In India, approved digital GlobalMET record books are already operating within the national maritime training framework.

By contrast, Germany, Japan, and Greece continue to rely on physical record books or onboard training manuals for official processes, despite broader industry efforts to modernise seafarer training and administrative oversight.

The push for digital records comes as the shipping industry faces a well-documented shortage of qualified officers, highlighted in successive BIMCO/ICS Manpower Reports, placing greater emphasis on the efficiency and transparency of cadet training pathways.

MarinePALS is urging maritime administrations to establish clear approval, security, and verification requirements for digital records, and to collaborate with shipowners, ship managers, and training institutions on controlled pilot programmes. According to the company, digital systems can maintain onboard supervision and authorised sign-off procedures while offering cadets, Company Training Officers, and flag State personnel a shared, transparent view of training progress. Evidence can be uploaded against individual tasks, learning content can be delivered where additional support is required, and outstanding competencies can be identified before the training period concludes.

Captain Pradeep Chawla, CEO of MarinePALS, said: "There is now a clear divide between administrations that have created a route for digital training records and those that continue to depend on paper. The technology already exists; what is needed is a clear regulatory pathway for its approval and use. Digitisation does not replace onboard instruction or reduce the rigour of training. It gives cadets, supervising officers, training departments and flag States a clearer view of progress, so that gaps can be addressed while training is still taking place."

He added: "We are calling on more flag States to move from discussion to controlled pilots and establish secure digital systems that support stronger oversight and better-prepared seafarers."

MarinePALS provides licensed digital versions of International Chamber of Shipping and GlobalMET record books. To date, more than 5,000 cadets have used its digital record books and accompanying learning content.