Tersan Havyard AS is a shipyard located in Leirvik in the municipality of Hyllestad, with operations in newbuilds, repairs, conversions, and outfitting projects. The yard handles several projects in parallel and has a busy day-to-day operation with a combination of permanent employees and contracted labor.
The yard has high demands for efficient onboarding and clear routines for mandatory training. With XtraMile, Tersan Havyard has gained a solution that makes course completion more efficient for both employees and subcontractors.
Kurt Kjos, who is responsible for, among other things, access control and follow-up of HSE courses at the yard, shares his experiences with XtraMile.
Picture: Kurt Kjos. Tersan Havyard.
Need for simpler onboarding
Before Tersan Havyard started using XtraMile, the existing course setup was both cumbersome and inflexible. The course was time‑consuming, and it was difficult to make changes when needs evolved. For a company with many employees, extensive use of contracted labor and several languages in play, this made onboarding more demanding than necessary.
“The course we had back then was terribly cumbersome, expensive and poor. For most people it took two hours – maybe longer,” says Kjos.
Tersan Havyard therefore wanted a solution that could shorten the training, make the courses more relevant, and easier to keep up to date.
“There was no possibility to change the course or correct it along the way,” he adds.
Contracted labor requires clear routines
Tersan Havyard has around 160 permanent employees, but a large share of the workforce consists of contracted personnel. When many people need to get up to speed quickly, robust routines for onboarding and safety training become critical.
“We are 160 permanent employees, but the majority of our workforce is contracted. We are going up to 350–400, so we have a lot of activity,” says Kjos.
At the same time, the yard depends on delivering high quality on time. Training must therefore support operations, not create bottlenecks.
“We deliver a high‑quality product on time. It is very important to keep to schedule,” he says.
Mandatory courses must be completed before start
For Tersan Havyard, mandatory training is a fixed part of onboarding. Everyone who will work in production must complete the course before they are granted access and can start work. This applies to both their own employees and subcontractors.
"Everyone who is coming onto the shipyard to work must complete the course before they are granted access. The only exception is personnel who are only coming in for meetings in the administration,” says Kjos
This made it especially important to have a solution that was easy to distribute, easy to understand and easy to follow up in practice.
They found that solution in XtraMile.
Shorter and more targeted courses
With XtraMile, Tersan Havyard has been able to compress the courses and focus the content on what is actually relevant at the yard. The goal was to reduce the time spent without losing what matters most.
“We wanted to compress it into a shorter course that took a maximum of half an hour, while still capturing the essence and the key points,” says Kjos.
In addition, the yard moved away from several different course tracks and consolidated the training into one common course with language options. This makes the courses more relevant and easier to keep updated.
Works well for both employees and subcontractors
The solution is used both internally and by subcontractors who need access to the yard. The course link is sent out in advance so that, as a rule, the training is completed before arrival. This provides a more predictable start‑up and reduces the need for manual follow‑up.
“We send the link to the subcontractors, and they pass it on to their employees. It runs completely smoothly,” says Kjos.
When the course is a clear part of the pre‑start routine, it becomes easier to ensure that everyone arrives prepared. Image: Tersan Havyard XtraMile statistics. In practice, 100% completion for both permanent employees and contracted workers.
Image: Course Statistics for Tersan Havyard
Easier adaptation to an international workforce
People from several countries work at the yard, including Poland, Romania and Lithuania. The training therefore has to work well in multiple languages and be tailored to those who will actually take the course. “Most are Polish, but we also have Romanians and a few from Lithuania,” says Kjos. According to Kjos, a Polish supervisor describes the new course as “night and day” compared with the previous setup.
det tidligere opplegget.
For Tersan Havyard har dette vært viktig for å gjøre opplæringen mer forståelig og mer relevant i praksis.
Flexibility and rapid follow‑up
A key part of the experience has been the ability to adjust courses as needs change – whether it concerns language, content or practical details. For a high‑activity business, it is crucial to make changes quickly and without unnecessary detours.
“It has never been a problem to adapt or modify the courses. It has been very flexible and very straightforward,” says Kjos.
He also highlights the close follow‑up as a strength in the collaboration. Direct contact makes it easier to implement changes quickly when needed.
A solution that supports further growth
As activity increases and more people need access to the yard, it becomes even more important to have a training solution that works efficiently in practice. For Tersan Havyard, the priority is to make mandatory training easy to complete, without compromising safety or operations.
“XtraMile delivers a solution that works, and if everything is not exactly as the customer wants, it is easy to adapt,” says Kjos.
Results in brief
Shorter and more efficient onboarding. 100% completion rate
One common course path for employees and subcontractors
Reduced completion time from around two hours to a maximum of half an hour
Easier adaptation of language and content
Clear routines for mandatory courses before start‑up
About Tersan Havyard
Tersan Havyard AS is a shipyard in Leirvik in the municipality of Hyllestad. The company works with newbuilds, repairs, conversions and outfitting projects, and has facilities to handle several projects in parallel. The yard also sets clear requirements for health, safety and environment, working conditions, human rights and business ethics in collaboration with suppliers and subcontractors.